OASL Stool Land Revenue Consent Form (Ghana)

An OASL Stool Land Revenue Consent Form in Ghana grants documented consent to the action it describes, on the conditions it states.

Article 267(1) of the Constitution of Ghana 1992 provides that all stool lands in Ghana shall vest in the appropriate stool on behalf of and in trust for the subjects of the stool. Article 267(2) provides that the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands shall collect and disburse stool land revenue in accordance with the Constitution and the Administrator of Stool Lands Act 1994 (Act 481). Section 1 of Act 481 establishes the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands (OASL) as a statutory body responsible for collecting and managing stool land revenue on behalf of stools and skins throughout Ghana. The OASL operates from its principal office in Accra and maintains regional offices in the Ashanti Region (Kumasi), Northern Region (Tamale), Western Region (Takoradi), and Eastern Region (Koforidua).

The Land Act 2020 (Act 1036) consolidated the land laws of Ghana including the State Lands Act 1962 (Act 125), the Land Title Registration Law 1986 (PNDCL 152), and the Land Commission Act 2008 (Act 767). Under Act 1036, all grants of interests in stool land — whether leases, subleases, licences, or concessions — must comply with the constitutional requirements under Article 267 and must be registered at the Lands Commission under the Land Title Registry. The Lands Commission, established under Act 767 and continued under Act 1036, is the public body responsible for land administration in Ghana, including management of government land, vested land, and stool land that has been compulsorily acquired by the state.

The OASL Stool Land Revenue Consent Form is required whenever a stool executes a transaction affecting stool land — including leases granted by the stool directly, subleases granted by a lessee of stool land, assignments of existing stool land leases, and mortgage transactions where stool land is offered as security. The form records the nature of the transaction, identifies the parties, describes the land by reference to a survey plan or plot number, states the consideration or ground rent payable, and confirms that the OASL consents to the transaction and will collect its statutory share of stool land revenue.

Revenue from stool land transactions is distributed under Article 267(6) of the Constitution of Ghana 1992 among the stool (for the use of the stool), the traditional authority (for the upkeep of the paramountcy), and the District Assembly of the district in which the stool land is situated. The Stool Land Revenue (Distribution) Regulations LI 1334 prescribe the percentages applicable to each recipient. The OASL monitors and enforces compliance with these distribution requirements, and the OASL Stool Land Revenue Consent Form is the trigger document that initiates the collection and distribution process for each new transaction.

The Customary Land Secretariat (CLS) established under the Land Administration Project (LAP) operates alongside the OASL in many traditional areas. The CLS records and manages customary land transactions at the local level before they are submitted to the OASL and the Lands Commission for formal registration. In practice, a party seeking OASL consent will first obtain the consent and execution of the relevant stool chief and elders through the CLS, and then submit the completed transaction documents to the OASL with the consent form.

The OASL Stool Land Revenue Consent Form in Ghana is required whenever a transaction affects stool land that generates revenue subject to collection by the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands (OASL) under the Constitution of Ghana 1992 Article 267 and Act 481.

The form is required when a stool chief and elders grant a new lease over stool land to an individual, company, or government body. All stool land leases in Ghana — whether for residential, commercial, industrial, or agricultural use — must be accompanied by an OASL consent form to confirm that the OASL has been notified of the transaction and that stool land revenue will be collected in accordance with the statutory distribution formula.

The form is needed when an existing lessee of stool land assigns the residue of the lease to a third party. Under the Land Act 2020 (Act 1036), an assignment of a stool land lease requires not only the consent of the grantor stool but also the OASL's acknowledgement so that future ground rent and revenue obligations are properly transferred to the assignee and recorded in the OASL's register.

The form is required when a lessee of stool land seeks to sublease part or all of the demised premises to a third party. The OASL Stool Land Revenue Consent Form in this scenario documents the sublease transaction, identifies the sublessee, and confirms the OASL's acceptance of the sublessee as the party responsible for revenue obligations in respect of the subleased portion.

The form is needed when a party uses a stool land lease as security for a mortgage or charge granted to a bank or financial institution licensed by the Bank of Ghana (BoG). Mortgagees conducting due diligence on stool land security must verify that OASL consent was obtained for the original lease and that no revenue arrears are outstanding before accepting the lease as collateral.

The form is required when stool land is the subject of a compulsory acquisition by the Government of Ghana under the State Lands Act 1962 (Act 125) and Act 1036. OASL consent and revenue accounting must be completed before compensation is assessed and paid to the stool and the current lessees, in accordance with the compulsory acquisition provisions of the Constitution of Ghana 1992 Article 20.

A valid OASL Stool Land Revenue Consent Form in Ghana under the Constitution of Ghana 1992 Article 267 and the Administrator of Stool Lands Act 1994 (Act 481) must include the following elements.

Identification of the Stool: The full name and traditional area of the stool or skin whose land is the subject of the transaction — for example, the Kumasi Traditional Area, Okyeman (Eastern Region), or the Ga Traditional Area (Greater Accra). The name of the Paramount Chief or Head Chief and the name of the sub-chief (where the grant is made by a divisional stool) must be stated.

Identification of the Parties: The full names, addresses, and identification details (Ghana Card number or passport number) of the grantor (stool) acting through its authorised representatives, and the grantee (lessee, assignee, or sublessee). Where the grantee is a company, the company registration number issued by the Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) must be stated.

Description of the Land: A description of the stool land sufficient to identify it, including the plot number or parcel number as shown on the survey plan prepared by a licensed surveyor registered with the Ghana Institution of Surveyors (GhIS), the size of the land in acres or hectares, the district in which the land is situated, and the name of the traditional area or village nearest to the land.

Nature of the Transaction: A clear statement of the type of transaction — lease, sublease, assignment, or mortgage — together with the term of the transaction (commencement date and expiry date), the ground rent or consideration payable, and the permitted use of the land (residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural).

Revenue Declaration: The amount of stool land revenue payable, the applicable distribution percentages under the Stool Land Revenue (Distribution) Regulations LI 1334, and the bank account details of the OASL for payment of the revenue share.

OASL Reference Number: The unique reference number assigned by the OASL to the transaction, which must be quoted on all subsequent correspondence, registration documents, and payment receipts.

Declaration by Stool Representatives: A declaration signed by the Paramount Chief, the Divisional Chief (where applicable), the stool secretary, and at least two elders of the stool confirming that the stool validly authorises the transaction and that the land is free from conflicting grants or encumbrances.

Registration Obligation: A note that the completed OASL Stool Land Revenue Consent Form, together with the executed transaction documents and the survey plan, must be submitted to the Lands Commission for registration under the Land Title Registry in accordance with the Land Act 2020 (Act 1036) within three months of execution.

Forms-legal.com provides this OASL Stool Land Revenue Consent Form as a starting point for parties dealing with stool land in Ghana. Given the customary and constitutional complexity of stool land transactions, parties should engage a solicitor enrolled with the Ghana Bar Association with experience in customary land law before executing any stool land transaction. The Alternative Dispute Resolution Act 2010 (Act 798) and the Chieftaincy Act 2008 (Act 759) provide additional mechanisms for resolving stool land boundary and ownership disputes.

Additional compliance elements for a OASL Stool Land Revenue Consent Form (Ghana) used in Ghana include: Under the Land Act 2020 (Act 1036), the Lands Commission manages land registration in Ghana. Section 43 of the Land Act 2020 governs leases of stool and skin lands. The Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands (OASL) manages stool land revenue under Article 267 of the Constitution of Ghana 1992. The Land Court (High Court division) adjudicates land disputes. The Stamp Duty Act 2005 (Act 689) imposes duty on property instruments. Forms-legal.com provides this template as a starting point for Ghana-compliant documentation.