The Licensed Surveyors Association of Ghana (LSAG) has called on individuals and investors interested in procuring land to undertake due diligence before making any payments.

Mr Timothy Anyidoho and Mr George Okwabi Frimpong, senior members of the LSAG stated at the fifth, “GNA-Tema Stakeholder Engagement and Workers’ Appreciation Day,” seminar at the Tema Regional Office of the Ghana News Agency, that purchasing lands without proper documentation provides the grounds for future litigation

The seminar is a progressive media caucus platform created to give opportunity to state and non-state actors to interact with journalists and address national issues.

The event also serves as a motivational mechanism to recognize the editorial contribution of reporters to the professional growth and promotion of the Tema GNA as the industrial news hub, while contributing to national development.

Mr Anyidoho spoke on: “the authority in charge of the management of stool or skin, clan or family lands; the role of Customary Land Secretariat; Systems of recording and registering land and interests in land; What is electronic conveyancing; and Procedures under the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act, 201”.

He expressed concern that most often potential land buyers do not request for the right documents before executing payment, rather, “they believe so much in the mendacious acts of some land sellers.

He said the Lands Act 2020, seeks to address the problem through the creation of Customary Lands Secretariat and therefore charged land buyers to be patient and go through the proper channel instead of resorting to quick-fix mechanism to pay for the land only to realise it is a scam.

Mr Anyidoho who is also a senior staff at the Lands Commission said, “my years of practices have established that most Ghanaians seek directions when they are caught up in the fraudsters' web, completed the fictitious transaction before they approach the Lands Commission to search.

“So in land acquisition, don’t do things in the wrong order, putting the cart before the horse by making payment before coming to the Lands Commission to undertake a search, you will be defrauded”.

Mr Anyidoho, who is also a practicing Lawyer, said: “What commodity do you buy without checking or inspecting it before you pay? Even if you are going to buy a car, you check all the papers at DVLA, but sadly when it comes to land the person will come after he has completed the transaction, believing heavily on what the Chief, Stool Land or the party involved told him".

Mr Okwabi Frimpong urged Journalists to be more circumspect when reporting on issues involving land because it has caused harm to many countries.

He explained that land invokes passion, sentiment and inner feeling hence the media should be extra careful since one bad reportage can lead to all kinds of disputes.

“The media should avoid listening to one side when reporting on land issues because every single party involved has a piece of tasty news to give out. Even the most honest man can be the most dishonest man when it involves land," Mr Okwabi Frimpong cautioned.

Other speakers include Dr Stephen Ayisi-Addo, Programme Manager National AIDS/STI Control Programme who spoke on: “Workplace policy on HIV/AIDS, who enforces it: the legal basis for churches demanding HIV/AIDS test form would-be partners? Role of partners of infected individuals”.

Mr Fred Asiedu Dartey, GSA Head of Freight and Logistics spoke on: “Emerging trends in Ghana’s maritime industry – the perspective of the Ghana Shippers Authority”.