The Ga-Dangme Lands Administration has yesterday commissioned an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to help curb land litigations and chieftaincy matters that have bedeviled the people in the Greater Accra region.
The Alternative Dispute Resolution court refers to mechanisms or techniques used to settle disputes in confrontational ways and it operates outside the courtrooms.
This approach ranges from negotiations between the affected parties, multiparty negotiations, mediation, and consensus building to arbitration and adjudication.
The diaspora representative for the Tunma Royal dynasty, Emiratus H.E. HRE HIRM Professor Barthsy Ojoi Enebiene Gip Aba Obazi IV, The Hereditary Royal Dynasty King, Nii Ashangbor Obakwenm II, the development Paramount Chief of Tunmaa Ga Dagme, he is also an Archbishop said that traditional disputes resolution focuses on communities resolving conflict among disputants, adding that this application was live before the advent of colonialism and techniques applied varied from community to another, importantly both mechanisms have been used to manage conflicts since they are effective and close to the people.
According to him, the GDLA is the founder of the Ga-Dangme traditional area together with it 3 siblings namely, The Nungua Clan, The Asere Clan, and The Nai Wulormo.
He said although several initiatives and advocacy efforts have been made to address land-related conflicts in the country, there are still challenges prohibiting amicable solutions to the problems in the land sector.
The founder and the president of the Ga-dangme lands administration who has been elevated as Dr King Ayi Tunma II, said it is important to note that land disputes related to access, use, and control of natural are common in all parts of Ghana regardless of the tenure system.
This land dispute has a far-reaching negative effect and their resolutions most effectively and efficiently is a critical requirement for sustainable land management and hence economic growth as well as enhancing national unity.
King Ayi Tunma said more than 55%of land cases and Chieftaincy problems in court have never progressed beyond the mentioned stage and the average duration of these cases is over 5 and 10 years.
“This has not yet impacted positively on our land cases owing to the fewer number of Judges.”
In addition to prolonged delays, there are ever-increasing legal, loss of witnesses through natural attrition and devalued land parcels restricted by these prolonged disputes.
He finally edged the regional house of chiefs since they aren’t ready to collaborate with the GDLA to bring a longstanding chieftaincy brouhaha and land litigation to an end for peace to prevail in the entire Ga-dangme traditional area, adding that they should stay away from matters concerning GDLA and concentrate on its mandate.
