Unlike those days, acquiring land in Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region now has become the most difficult task among many people in the region.
The situation, many say spans from locating the land to the pricing of it, as a plot of land cost between GH₵15,000.00 and GH₵40,000.00 within the Municipality.
This however has made many middle-income earners in the municipality to begin questioning about their future as well as their income earnings.
Some of them who spoke to A1 Radio noted that they earned between GH₵700 and GH₵1,700 and saving that to acquire a plot of land would be one of the most difficult tasks.
Razak Abdullah, a teacher said, he had never thought that a day will come when getting a piece of land to build would be a problem like it is now.
He said: “I never had it in mind that getting a piece of land to build will ever be like this. Land within the municipality is like Cocaine that one cannot find to buy. Even if you struggle to get it, the price alone will compel you to commit suicide if you compare the price to your monthly salary.”
Atiah Richmond, a nurse also narrated that his father used to give out lands freely to people to build without asking for anything in returns, “…but now I and my brothers are struggling to even get a half plot of land to build. Getting the land alone is a wahala, after getting it the price will throw you off-board.”
Samuel Kobby, a public servant also noted that one of the reasons for the high prices was the involvement of some greedy agents who often want to get bigger returns than the landowners.
But whatever the cause may be, why will people even think of selling their lands and at that high price?
Interacting with a landowner who only gave his name as Baba Atule, he noted that in the olden days, his forefathers used to offer lands for free to people who may want to settle in the community.
But as time has changed, Mr. Atule noted that it was through selling the lands that will help some of them to cater for the needs of their families especially paying their children’s school fees.
He added that one of the reasons for the high prices of lands was because after selling the land they (landowners) cannot claim ownership again.
He stressed: “If you sell the land that ends it, you will have nothing doing with the land. So, if you sell it in the measurement of your problems at hand, then you will know that you have not made a loss. I don’t like selling lands but if I do, the money will definitely be used for solving a problem in the family.”
Source: a1radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Moses Apiah|Ghana
