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Lands C’ssion in court … for allocating public land to former Pres Rawlings
A Ghanaian has dragged the Lands Commission to court for allocating 4.368 acres of public land to former President Jerry John Rawlings for personal use.
On May 3, 2016, the Lands Commission, acting on the instruction of then President John Mahama, allocated the land, situated along the Sekou Toure Street, Accra, to former President Rawlings in his personal name to be used for the Rawlings Foundation.
The plaintiff, Mr Jonathan Holm, a businessman, and resident of Osu, Accra, is arguing that by virtue of Article 20(5) and (6) of the 1992 Constitution, public lands acquired in the public interest are required to be used for public purposes that would inure to the benefit of Ghanaians generally and not for personal or selected, sectarian or esoteric purposes.
The plaintiff joined President Rawlings and the Lands Commission as defendants.
It is the case of the plaintiff that the Lands Commission acted contrary to the provisions of the 1992 Constitution.
Mr Holm stated that per the constitution, if land compulsorily acquired for a stated public purpose for which it was compulsorily acquired or that it is no longer required for the public purpose for which it was initially acquired, the owner of the land immediately preceding the compulsory acquisition should be given the first option to re-acquire the land for which reason the land owner would be made to refund the compensation paid for same or be made to pay for the value of the land.
Since the land in dispute forms part of Osu Stool lands, the Stool, the plaintiff held was required by the constitution to be given the first option to re-acquire the land when the government decided that it no longer required the land for the stated public purpose.
In the writ, filed by his counsel, Mr Bright O. Akwetey of Akwetey and Associates, the plaintiff averred that the Rawlings Foundation was not a public purpose or a project in the public interest and could not be established on the land in dispute.
He said on May 9, 2016, former President Rawlings in a letter addressed to then President Mahama requested the Lands Commission to allocate additional land close to the 4.368 acres and measuring approximately 50 per cent of the allocated land to the portion already allocated to him so as to have enough space for parking for staff and visitors.
This, the plaintiff noted was not right and as such, the court should stop the allocation as the reason for the request for additional land was for a project that is not in the public interest.
According to the plaintiff, the 4.368 public land already allocated to former President had state bungalows built on the land with occupants and that all the owner needed to do was to give the occupants three months prior notice to vacate the land for construction works to begin.
Mr Holm wanted an order by the court declaring the land in dispute as land compulsorily acquired in the public interest for public purposes.
He prayed the state that by the Constitution of Ghana as well as specific laws under which the land was compulsorily acquired, the President of the Republic automatically became a Trustee for the land on behalf of all Ghanaians.
The plaintiff wants an order declaring that the purpose of a Trust cannot be varied in a situation where the Trust purpose still subsists.
An order directed at Lands Commission to comply with the constitution by giving the Osu Stool the first option to re-acquire the land.
The plaintiff urged the court to revoke the allocation and make order for recovery of possession of the land.
Source: Ghanaian Times
The Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID) successfully held its sixth (6th) Exchange Programme, hosted by the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) Bank in Accra from March 22 to 23 March.
The event brought together member institutions, partner organisations and Ghanaian public entities to advance dialogue on South-South trade, investment and development finance, while also creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing and institutional cooperation.
Organised as a capacity-building and networking platform, the 2026 edition of the G-NEXID Exchange focused on GEXIM’s experience in developing innovative solutions to promote intra-African and extra-African trade.
It also highlighted trade and investment opportunities in Ghana, particularly in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and broader national development initiatives.
The Exchange Programme forms part of G-NEXID’s mandate to foster cooperation among export-import banks and development finance institutions in support of South-South trade and investment.
This 6th edition follows earlier successful programmes hosted by India Exim Bank (2016), BNDES (2017), Indonesia Eximbank (2018), Afreximbank (2019) and Saudi EXIM Bank (2025).
On the first day, participants were presented with G-NEXID institutional information and received an update on the Network’s 2026 work programme.
There were a series of substantive presentations, including an overview of the Ghanaian economy by the Ministry of Finance, with particular attention to debt-related challenges; a presentation by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), on investment opportunities in the country; and institutional presentations by GEXIM and Development Bank Ghana (DBG) on their respective mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Discussions during the sessions underscored strong interest in sector-focused webinars and business dialogues, particularly in agribusiness value chains such as poultry and rice.
Participants also emphasized the importance of continued information exchange and the sharing of best practices, especially in the area of guarantees.
The second day opened with a presentation on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, a national economic transformation strategy launched by President John Dramani Mahama in July 2025.
The initiative aims to enhance economic productivity through continuous industrial activity, accelerated export development and strategic import substitution.
As the programme is expected to mobilise both private and development capital, it presents concrete opportunities for G-NEXID members in areas such as co-financing, guarantees, trade finance and technical cooperation.
The programme also featured institutional presentations by guest organisations, namely the African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund (FAGACE) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), which shared their mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Following these exchanges, the G-NEXID Secretariat held bilateral discussions with both institutions as part of the Network’s ongoing membership drive.
Participants further benefited from a presentation by the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB), as well as a showcase of GEXIM’s key pipeline projects.
On the margins of the Exchange Programme, G-NEXID members also held their 20th Annual General Assembly Meeting to review progress and discuss strategic priorities.
Following the event, participants joined the GEXIM@10 International Conference, held from March 24-25, 2026 under the theme, “A Decade of Enabling Export Trade and Industrial Transformation: Resetting GEXIM for the Next Frontier.”
The conference provided an important platform for exploring how Ghana can strengthen its transition from a primary commodity exporter to a more competitive player in value-added trade and industrial development.
Source – G-NEXID
President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, signed five bills including three amendment bills passed by Parliament into law.
They are: Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025; University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Bill, 2025; Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
In a brief remark after assenting to the bills, President Mahama explained that the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026, scraps the Office of Minister of National Security and frees the President’s to appoint any Minister to supervise the security agencies.
He said it also reverses the name of the office of National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), to the original name, Bureau of National Intelligence, (BNI).
This the President said, addresses the confusion between that security agency and a well-known Ghanaian financial institution, the National Investment Bank.
President Mahama also noted that the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Act, 2026, establishes another University in the Eastern Region, at Bonsu, with three campuses – the main campus at Bonsu in the Eastern Region, with the second campus to be cited at Ohawu in the Oti Region.
The third, the Presdient assed will be located at Acherensua in the Ahafo Region.
Touching on the Amendment to the Growth and Sustainability Levy Act, the President said, “As you’re aware, the act was amended to increase it from 1% to 3%, and so this act reduces it again. That is the levy on mining companies. It reduces it again to 1%, because of the introduction of the sliding scale of royalties.”
He also spoke to the passage of the Government Education Regulatory Bodies Amendment Act, emphasising that amends Act 1023 to grant greater flexibility to private tertiary institutions and the option to Charter.
The Ghana Deposit Protection Amendment Act, the President concluded, is an amendment to an original act that was supposed to guarantee deposits held in commercial banks or financial institutions.
It basically expands protection to include mobile money wallets and other digital platforms, ensuring a wider scope of digital financial assets are secured.
The signing ceremony, was witnessed by the Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr Dominic Akrutinga Ayine, Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, a Senior Presidential Advisor and a Special Aide to the President, Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, and the Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang.
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