One of the more interesting things we did when studying Ghanaian property law was to interview several government entities associated with property, which involved sitting down with a series of questions and picking the mind of these officials who work in the land system every day. This opportunity allowed us to see the inner workings of the system and get a behind-the-scenes perspective of the function and purpose of the law and how that was carried out.
Our questions ranged from what the law entailed, to how it was applied and whether it was effective. Questioning these experts and professionals allowed us to dig deep into the subject matter and get a good grasp on the land systems.
Something thing that I did notice regarding these discussions was how welcoming and available these officials were. They went above and beyond to ensure that we were given ample time out of their busy day to have these interviews, and made sure that we were comfortable and treated well. I don’t know that you would get that with an American official, but it definitely stood out in Ghana how accessible and welcoming their officials were.
Another interesting takeaway was the mindset of these officials and the information they seemed willing to give up. Most seemed to think that their system worked very well and that the people were accepting of the system and how it worked.
However, when we spoke with attorneys and other people in the land owning business, those same feelings were not expressed. I do not know if that is due to the government officials desire to look like they are doing a good job, or if they actually believe that the system is a good one. Either way, there seems to be some disconnect between the government and the people that they govern, probably not too unlike the American system.
Finally, the most valuable part of the experience in my opinion was the practice and learning done by meeting with very important people. The opportunity to meet with government officials does not come around often, so having this chance to be around them and get the feel for the proper etiquette and manners was very valuable. The feeling in a meeting like that is much different than meeting with a professor or even an attorney that you might meet with. The setting of the meetings is different than any setting I have met in before.
This trip provided many first-time opportunities that could not be duplicated, and I am thankful for every one of them.