A new Customary Land Secretariat for the Sempe Stool in Accra has been inaugurated to improve land documentation, reduce ownership and boundary disputes, as well as promote transparent and accountable customary land administration.

The new secretariat, inaugurated on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, is expected to serve as a repository for land records within the Sempe traditional area and provide landowners, investors and members of the public with more reliable information on land interests and transactions.

The ceremony brought together the Mayor of Accra, Hon Michael Kpakpo Allotey, traditional rulers, queen mothers, priests and priestesses, officials of the Lands Commission and the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands, and other dignitaries.

Addressing the gathering, the Ga Mantse, His Royal Majesty King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II called on other traditional areas, including Abola, Otublohum, Akamaje and Gbese, to also establish similar secretariats to make land documentation and registration more accessible to their people.

He said the inauguration of the Sempe Customary Land Secretariat demonstrated the importance of collaboration between traditional authorities, the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands, and the Lands Commission in improving customary land administration.

The Ga Mantse said proper land registration had become increasingly important because of the laws, rules and regulations governing land administration in the country, adding that Parliament had provided the legal framework for land administration through the Lands Act and urged traditional authorities and landowners to take the necessary steps to comply with the law.

He expressed appreciation to the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands and the Lands Commission for supporting the establishment of the secretariat and welcomed the initiative as a significant development for the people of Sempe and the  Ga State.

The Administrator of Stool Lands, Dr Gad Asorwoe Akwensivie, in an address said the establishment of the secretariat was not intended to take land away from existing owners or occupants but rather to properly document and preserve land information for present and future generations.

The Administrator said the Sempe secretariat would assist the traditional authority to document land rights, record transactions and provide accurate and accessible information to landowners, prospective investors, and the general public.

He added that the facility was also expected to enhance tenure security, promote orderly land-use planning, and support the resolution of disputes through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, thereby helping to reduce land-related litigation before the courts.

He urged staff of the secretariat and members of its Land Management Committee to uphold integrity, professionalism, and accountability, stressing that public confidence in the institution would depend largely on the manner in which it was managed.

Dr Akwensivie also encouraged residents and landowners in areas including Lartebiokorshie, Mamprobi, Mpoase, Kwashieman, Odorkor, Ablekuma, Anyaa and Sakaman to patronise the secretariat, record their land interests and support its operations, describing effective customary land administration as a shared responsibility.