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Thousands of acres of prime land owned by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), valued at more than GH¢851 million, have been illegally taken over by private developers and individuals across various parts of Ghana, according to the 2024 Auditor-General’s Report on Public Boards, Corporations and Other Statutory Institutions.
The audit revealed that a total of 3,161.25 acres of SSNIT lands have been encroached upon, with properties spread across the country collectively valued at GH¢851,283,444.14. The report warns that the continued loss of land not only erodes the asset base of the Trust but also threatens its long-term financial viability.
Physical inspections conducted by the Auditor-General’s team confirmed severe encroachment at several locations, including Bortianor near West Hills Mall and Odupong in the Kasoa area. The report states that these strategic lands, originally acquired for investment and development purposes, have been “fully occupied”, making recovery difficult without expensive and protracted legal battles.
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The situation, the report notes, is critical and demands immediate legal action if the Trust hopes to salvage any part of its investment.
Beyond the encroachment, the audit uncovered worrying administrative lapses. In the Ashanti Region, SSNIT had failed to register a valuable parcel of land at Adum in Kumasi in its name as of May 2024. This oversight, the auditor general warns, leaves the land vulnerable to illegal occupation or claims by third parties.
Such failures to regularise documentation highlight systemic weaknesses in SSNIT’s land administration, increasing exposure to financial and legal risks.
The Auditor-General cautioned that SSNIT could face substantial litigation costs in efforts to reclaim the encroached properties. These potential expenses would further burden the Trust’s finances and impair its ability to undertake key investment projects.
Encroachment, the report said, also diminishes the value of SSNIT’s real estate portfolio, a critical component of the Trust’s long-term investment strategy that underpins the pensions and retirement benefits of millions of Ghanaian workers.
In its official response, SSNIT Management acknowledged the severity of the encroachment and stated that a comprehensive land protection strategy had already been approved and was being implemented. The strategy includes:
Registering all unregistered lands;
Fencing existing properties;
Installing boundary pillars;
Constructing security posts at vulnerable sites.
According to SSNIT, these interventions received Board of Trustees approval at the Trust’s 364th and 365th Board meetings, held on March 28 and April 25, 2023, respectively. The plan is being executed in phases to secure SSNIT’s real estate assets for future development and income generation.
This revelation comes amid growing national concern about the encroachment of public lands in Ghana. From utility agencies to educational institutions, numerous state-owned lands have been swallowed by private interests, often with little or no accountability.
Given SSNIT’s crucial role in managing pension funds, the Auditor-General’s report calls for decisive and urgent action — not only to protect SSNIT’s holdings but also to serve as a deterrent to the growing trend of public land abuse and institutional neglect.
The Auditor-General emphasised the need for better inter-agency coordination, legal reforms, and technological tools such as digital land mapping systems to help public institutions like SSNIT monitor and safeguard their properties in real time.
Without prompt action, the report warns, Ghana risks eroding public confidence in the security of pension funds and the integrity of national land management. For SSNIT, protecting its land assets is no longer optional — it is essential to its survival.
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