President Mahama moves to stop asset ‘looting’, shifts power from Executive to Parliament

In a move aimed at curbing the "rampant sale" and alleged looting of state property, President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to present a new law to Parliament to strip the Executive of the sole authority to divest public assets.

The proposed Divestiture of Public Property Bill will seek to ensure that any sale, transfer or privatisation of state-owned lands, factories, and other assets must first secure explicit parliamentary approval.

The President made the revelation during an interaction with the Ghanaian Diaspora Community in Lusaka, Zambia, last Wednesday as part of his three-day state visit to the southern African country.

Accompanied by his wife, Lordina Dramani Mahama, the delegation also included the Executive Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama; the Presidential Advisor and Special Aide, Joyce Bawa Mogtari; and the Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations at the Presidency, Stan Xoese Dogbe.

Also on the trip are the Presidential Spokesperson and Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu; the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu; the Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George; and the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey.

President Mahama said the legislation was a critical safeguard to ensure that the people, through their representatives, had a final say over the disposal of the nation's wealth.

"This will stop the rampant sale of government assets," President Mahama declared.

He cited the previous administration's attempt to hand over the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) to a private entity for 15 years as a prime example of the kind of decision that would require parliamentary scrutiny under the new regime.

"One government can come and just mortgage public property without the say of the people's representatives," he stated.

"If (parliamentarians) think that it is fair, they will approve it. If they think it's not fair, they don't approve of it, then it can't happen," he added.

Digitising lands

Beyond the legislative push, the President outlined a twin strategy to reform land administration and recover undervalued public lands.

He announced the government's introduction of Blockchain Technology to digitise the records of the Land Registry, a move expected to eliminate fraudulent double sales of land by individuals and chiefs.

"For public lands, they set up a committee that presented its report," he said, revealing that his administration had already cancelled several non-processed leases, adding that "these were public lands that were just distributed and looted."

He painted a stark picture of profiteering, where prime public lands in areas such as Airport Residential in Accra and other prime areas were supposedly acquired for as little as GH¢150,000 and later resold for up to $2 million.

While acknowledging the complexity of reclaiming lands where developers had already built and occupied properties, the President stated a new policy.

"In those cases where they have processed the title, we're asking them to pay the true value of the land,” he said.

However, for transactions still in process, he announced that the government had halted them and was taking the lands back.

"But when we take those lands back, it means that we must find a proper way of making sure that another group won't come and start selling them again," he said.

President Mahama's engagement in Zambia follows an invitation from his counterpart, President Hakainde Hichilema.

Background

President Mahama, by a letter dated January 10, 2025, directed the Lands Commission to halt the sale, lease and processing of transactions involving state and public lands.

The government explained that the decision was aimed at safeguarding public lands for the benefit of citizens and future generations.

At the time, the President further directed the commission to submit a detailed report of all recent and pending transactions within 14 days of receiving the directive.

“You are further requested to submit a detailed report of all recent and ongoing transactions concerning state and public lands to this office within 14 days of this communication,” the letter signed by the Secretary to the President, Dr Calistus Mahama, said.

In September 2025, however, the President announced the lifting of the temporary ban on state land transactions, stressing that henceforth all allocations, leases and sales must follow strict verification and oversight processes.

President Mahama made the announcement at the inauguration of a new governing board of the National Lands Commission, during which he pledged sweeping reforms to restore integrity and transparency in Ghana’s land administration system.