NO LAND LITIGATION FOR INVESTORS (PAGE 29, JAN 22, 2010)

INVESTORS in the Tamale metropolis have a lot to gain if they channel their resources towards unearthing the potential in the sprawling city.
For one thing, the Town and Country Planning Department has given an indication that investors stand to gain a lot owing to the little land litigation in the metropolis.
The Northern Regional and the Tamale Metropolitan directors of the department, Messrs Sylvester Gyogluu and Zikiru Sulley Shittu, respectively, told the Daily Graphic that the relatively fewer land litigation cases in the metropolis should be an incentive to investors to invest in the area and give employment to the youth.
Indeed, investment opportunities exist in the area, including large tracts of arable land, the arts and culture industry and leather processing.
The metropolis that covers a land area of approximately 750sq km also has the potential for an irrigation scheme. The Pagazaa river which collects all the waters of the streams could be dammed for irrigation purposes.
There are some artificial dams and dug-outs, including the Bulpela, Lamashegu and Fooshegu dams.
According to the directors of the department, some infrastructural service providers had plans to extend water and electricity to the peri-urban communities to support investment in the area.
They, however, cautioned against the practice of putting up structures in the metropolis before obtaining permits.
They explained that when some structures were marked “remove by order”, it meant that their owners did not obtain permits and that the structures were illegally constructed.
The directors indicated that the Building Inspectorate Department of the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TAMA) was responsible for posting such warning signs on illegally constructed structures.
They described the processes for obtaining a permit as getting a site plan from the landowner, a title from the Lands Commission, drawing up one’s building plan, purchasing Town and Country Planning forms 1 and a development permit from the District Town Planning Office.
The steps included filling of the forms with the help of an architect, payment of the required fees and a receipt bearing dates for site inspection.
The directors noted that town planners were required to visit the site for inspection and request for corrections if necessary.
They, however, stressed that a permit would only be granted after meetings of the Technical and Statutory Planning committees.
The process takes between three and four months after submission of the application.
Touching on the activities of the Town and Country Planning Department, the directors stated that the greatest challenge facing it was the enforcement of bye-laws on planning.
Mr Gyogluu particularly mentioned that the proposed planning law placed emphasis on community participation in planning, saying, “Gone are the days when technocrats and experts planned for people.”
“Planning should now be seen as a highly democratic principle, instead of a technical principle,” he explained.