On Tuesday, September 2, 2025, President John Mahama announced that he has lifted the ban that was placed on the sale of State and public lands, soon after he was sworn into office nine months ago.
“My government placed a temporary ban on all state land transactions to enable a thorough review of system processes. That exercise has yielded valuable insights into the weaknesses of our current system and the urgent reforms that are required.
“Today, with the inauguration of the new commission and the adoption of robust accountability measures, I am pleased to announce that the ban on land transactions has been lifted,” President Mahama noted.
President Mahama made the announcement on Tuesday September 2, 2025, during the inauguration of the newly reconstituted Lands Commission Board.
The President was quick to add what has changed or would change in the sale of state and public lands:
“The lifting of the ban does not signify a return to business as usual. It signals a new disciplined era of land management. We are embarking on a reset that prioritises transparency, fairness, and justice in land administration.”
He explained further that all future land transactions will now go through a transparent, digitally verified process under strict oversight to guarantee integrity and restore public trust.
The President said his Government is implementing a new land management agenda based on four pillars namely: Restoring public confidence through transparency and fairness, Reversing illegal transactions and reclaiming encroached lands, Digitizing and modernizing land services and Harmonizing customary and statutory land system.
President Mahama, throughout the 2024 presidential campaign, had told Ghanaians that if he won to become president again, one of his key talks would be to investigate and reclaim state properties that were allegedly sold under questionable circumstances during the Akufo-Addo led administration.
The then candidate Mahama, at a point took to his X (formerly Twitter) to complain about the sale of state lands and assets and promised full-scale investigations in a bid to reclaim these assets for the state.
“The Akufo-Addo and Bawumia government is disposing off state lands and properties at an unprecedented rate. When elected, my administration will prioritise the investigation and re-possession of these lands.”— John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama) June 20, 2024.
