Minister-Designate pledges investigation into dwindling land for research institutions
The Minister-Designate for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, has vowed to launch an investigation into the shrinking land allocations designated for scientific and research institutions in Ghana.
During his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Thursday, January 30, Mr Murtala responded to growing concerns from lawmakers regarding the persistent encroachment and misallocation of lands originally set aside for research and innovation.
The matter came to the fore following engagements with agencies under the Ministry of Environment, Science, and Technology, including the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The CSIR, he noted, reported a drastic reduction in its land size, from 81 acres to just 51 acres, prompting calls for urgent intervention.
“Investigations need to be carried out to understand why these land reductions are happening. If an institution starts with 81 acres and ends up with only 51, we must get to the bottom of where the 30 acres have been diverted,” Mr Murtala stated.
The Minister-Designate underscored the necessity of working in close collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the protection of research lands.
He further proposed the establishment of a specialised court system to expedite the resolution of environmental and land-related cases, highlighting the prolonged legal battles institutions face in reclaiming encroached lands.
Beyond addressing land misallocation, Mr Murtala revealed that the investigation would examine the broader impact of these land reductions on the nation’s research capabilities. He stressed the importance of determining whether these reductions were driven by commercial interests or administrative lapses.
His remarks came in response to questions from committee members, who raised alarm over the potential hindrance to scientific and technological progress due to the diminishing land resources available to research institutions. One member specifically questioned how these institutions could function effectively if their operational space continued to shrink, urging the government to take decisive action to protect these valuable assets.
Additionally, Mr Murtala acknowledged the bureaucratic challenges surrounding the acquisition of land leases for research institutions, noting that the slow and cumbersome process has exacerbated the issue of land security for scientific purposes.