President Mahama Moves to End "Rampant" Sale of Government Assets

During a high-level diaspora engagement in Lusaka, Zambia, on February 4, 2026, President John Dramani Mahama announced a sweeping

legislative and technological overhaul aimed at protecting public property and ending the chaos of land administration in Ghana.

The centerpiece of this reform is the upcoming Divestiture of Public Property Bill, which will mandate that any sale, transfer, or privatization of state-owned assets—including lands and factories—must receive prior Parliamentary approval.

Stopping the "Looting" of Public Lands

The President highlighted a systemic crisis where prime government lands were being "looted" and sold for a fraction of their value.

• The Looting Gap: Public lands previously sold for GH¢150,000 were being flipped for $2 million in prime areas like Airport Residential.

• The Crackdown: Several unprocessed leases on public lands have been canceled, and a national committee has been established to map the status of all public lands.

• The "True Value" Clause: For individuals who have already built homes on illegally acquired public land, the government will mandate payment of the true market value rather than demolishing the structures.

Blockchain: The End of "Double Sales"

In a major technological shift, President Mahama revealed that Ghana is integrating Blockchain Technology into the Land Registry. This move is designed to solve the decades-old problem of multiple sales of the same plot.

• Immutable Records: Blockchain will create a tamper-proof digital "paper trail," allowing prospective buyers to trace a land's ownership history with 100% certainty.

• Instant Verification: The system will allow the Lands Commission to provide real-time, accurate searches, preventing scammers from selling land they do not legally own.

• Digital Sovereignty: This aligns with the broader National AI and Digital Strategy to make Ghana a "Center of Excellence" for secure digital services.

TOR: "The Refinery is Working Again"

The President also used the platform to confirm that the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) is officially back in operation as of January 2026.

• Operational Status: Following a massive maintenance overhaul in late 2025, the refinery has resumed processing crude oil.

• Strategic Rejection: Mahama noted that his administration blocked a "15-year handover" deal proposed under the previous government, choosing instead to revive the refinery as a state-protected asset.

The Bottom Line

The Divestiture of Public Property Bill and the move to a Blockchain-based Land Registry represent a "hard reset" on how Ghana manages its most valuable assets—ensuring that state property belongs to the people, and private property is secured by code.