By Abraham D. Copper
The controversial 30-year land lease agreement between Grand Gedeh County officials and a Burkinabé investor has been officially canceled, just ten days after it was signed.
County Attorney Wilkins Nah, one of the original signatories, announced the termination early Tuesday morning, October 28, 2025, during a broadcast on Smile FM. He declared the contract “null and void.”
Termination Follows Public Backlash
The decision came amid mounting pressure from both national leaders and local residents. The agreement, signed on October 18, 2025, had granted Burkinabé national Boubou Sebu a 500-acre lease in the B’hai Administrative District for a $600,000 USD, 30-year cocoa farming project.
Attorney Nah explained that the deal was illegal, as it failed to satisfy legal requirements governing the lease of communal lands.
“The land lease lacked community engagement and other essential procedures required under the laws of the State,” Nah stated. He labeled the contract “unfruitful” and confirmed that it “has been cancelled.”
Inside the Original Agreement
During the signing ceremony on October 18, Superintendent Grant disclosed that Mr. Sebu was to pay $150,000 USD for the first ten years, with all proceeds directed to the County Development Fund.
Over the 30-year term, the county was expected to generate $600,000 USD in total revenue. Attorney Nah had earlier assured the public that the agreement included legal safeguards for the protection of local forests.
However, the attorney’s latest ruling brings an abrupt end to the deal, which had stirred widespread criticism over the management of communal land and transparency in county-level agreements.
