Study group on northern Ghana, advocacy for divestiture of northern lands

When Ghana attained independence in 1957, there were great disparities in development between the North and South of the country because of colonial discriminatory policies in education, socio-economic development, land ownership and administration. 

Colonial legislation vested all the lands of Northern Ghana in the Governor of the Gold Coast. This was not the case in the South.

When Ghana became a Republic in 1960, the lands of Northern Ghana were vested in the President.

In 1974, I formed the Study Group on Northern Ghana mainly to advocate the divestiture of Northern lands.  

The other members were: Dr Hilla Limann (Chairman), Dr. J. S. Nabila, Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu and J. B. Kubayanda (Secretary).

The Northern and Upper Regional Houses of Chiefs organised a seminar on land policy in Northern Ghana at Bolgatanga on May 15, 1975, and I read the paper.

There was complete silence in the hall. No questions were asked.  

In his closing remarks, Justice George Lantei Lamptey said: “I am a Lawyer and a High Court Judge and I do not know any of the things the young Doctor has said.

If what he has said is correct, the lands in the North must be divested tomorrow.

This should have been done long ago”. 

I presented the same paper at the National House of Chiefs.  No questions were asked and the meeting was reported in The Ghanaian Times.

Finally, I addressed the Military Advisory Council (MAC) in May 1975.

 Immediately after I finished reading my speech, one officer commented: “When we were told that Dr Bening would speak to us about land problems in the country, most of us were expecting an old man.

When you were introduced as Dr Bening, we were surprised”. 

My response: “I have seen several people in this hall who are within my age group” elicited laughter.

No questions were asked.

I knew three northern members of the MAC: the President, Rear Admiral K. E. Dzang, Maj Gen J. M. Hamidu and Alhaji Maj Essah.

Petition

When Col I. K. Acheampong, the Head of State and Chairman of the National Redemption Council (NRC), disbanded the NRC on October 9, 1975, and formed the Supreme Military Council (SMC), the Study Group petitioned the SMC on the lack of northern representation in the government.

As Dr Limann was a Civil Servant and Kubayanda was Rear Admiral Dzang’s nephew, Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu signed the letter.

The SMC immediately ordered our arrest.  All the security agencies alerted the junta that the chiefs in Northern Ghana and the National House of Chiefs gave the Study Group their unflinching support. The MAC intimated that we were working to enhance national unity.

Consequently, the SMC invited Dr Limann, Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu and me to accompany a government delegation to Northern Ghana without any explanation. Durbars of Chiefs were held at Tamale, Bolgatanga and Wa and we were conspicuously displayed on the stage at each venue.

When Gen. Acheampong was overthrown on July 5, 1978, Lt Gen F. W. K.  Akuffo became the Head of State and Chairman of the SMC. Lt Gen Hamidu became the Chief of Defence Staff and a member of the SMC.

Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu was appointed Commissioner of Local Government.  

The divestiture of Northern lands was effected on September 24, 1979, when Dr Hilla Limann assumed office as the President of Ghana.  

The relevant provisions of the 1979 Constitution were retained in the 1992 Constitution. Article 257 of the 1992 Constitution states that: “(3) For the avoidance of doubt, it is hereby declared that all lands in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions of Ghana which immediately before the coming into force of this Constitution were vested in the Government of Ghana are not public lands.

(4) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, all lands referred to in clause (3) of this article shall vest in any person who was the owner of the land before the vesting, or in the appropriate skin without further assurance than this clause”.

The divestiture of Northern lands and the election of Dr Hilla Limann as President in 1979 truly cemented national integration. 

The writer is Professor of Political Geography,
Founding Vice-Chancellor, University for Development Studies
E-mail: patbening@yahoo.com