Mahama Appoints Gad Asorwoe Akwensivie as Acting Administrator of Stool Lands

President John Dramani Mahama has named legal practitioner and surveyor Gad Asorwoe Akwensivie as the Acting Administrator of Stool Lands. He succeeds Maame Ama Edumadze-Acquah and will lead the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands (OASL) in advancing the government’s vision for land management and administration.

In his new role, Akwensivie will work closely with traditional authorities, the Lands Commission, the National Development Planning Commission, the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority, and other key stakeholders to drive land administration reforms.

Before this appointment, Akwensivie held various positions, including Associate at Awoonor Law Consultancy, Principal Valuer at Felix Dzubey and Co., and Head of Legal and ADR at COLANDEF Land & Property Rights. He is also a lecturer and farmer, bringing over 25 years of experience in land administration, with professional engagements in Ghana, Rwanda, South Africa, the UK, Australia, and the USA.

Akwensivie began his career at OASL as an Assistant Stool Lands Officer in 2000 after completing his national service there in 1999. Rising through the ranks, he became Deputy Chief Stool Lands Officer and contributed significantly to the operations department, particularly in mining, communication, legal, and research.

His involvement in the Land Administration Project and his collaboration with Parliament on the Land Act 2020 (Act 1036) highlight his contributions to land policy reforms. He also worked with the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General’s Department, the Lands Commission, and the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority.

Akwensivie has represented OASL in court, appeared before the Judgement Debt Commissioner and the Constitutional Review Commission, and served as Chief Editor of Our Heritage Journal of OASL. In 2023, he transitioned into private legal and surveying practice.

Between 2000 and 2023, he served on several committees within the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR), including the Presidential Transition Committees, Research and Statistics Working Group, Procurement Committees, and the Communications & Safeguards Committee. He was also the Chief Editor of the LANAR Newsletter and contributed to the Land Administration Project’s website and news magazine.

From 2008 to 2016, Akwensivie was a member of the Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI) Multi-Stakeholder Group at the Ministry of Finance. In 2009, he was appointed to the Public Servants Housing Loan Scheme Board (PSHLSB) at the Ministry of Works and Housing and later became its Chair from 2013 to 2016.

His vast experience in land administration, policy formulation, and legal practice positions him to drive meaningful reforms in stool land administration.