Prime Minister Holness presents land titles to Ackee Walk and Jackson Town residents

Prime Minister Andrew Holness led a land titling ceremony on Friday for residents of Ackee Walk and Jackson Town in St. Andrew Northwestern, presenting registered titles to more than 40 beneficiaries at a church hall in the constituency.

The event marked the fulfilment of a commitment Holness made at an October 2024 launch under the Registration of Titles, Cadastral Mapping and Tenure Classification Special Provisions Act. Minister without Portfolio Robert Montague, who oversees land titling and settlement, Permanent Secretary Arlene Williams, National Land Agency CEO Charice Walcott, and Member of Parliament Dwayne Smith joined the prime minister.

Officials said the regularisation drive drew on years of work by ministry teams, the NLA, and community engagement to verify occupancy and resolve complex ownership disputes. MP Smith credited a political relay spanning former MPs Derek Smith and Nigel Clark, noting that 12 Ackee Walk titles were issued around 2015 before further cases in Jackson Town were cleared.

Holness traced informal settlement in both areas to government improvement schemes dating to 1978 and 1980 along the upper Malvern Road corridor, when lots were subdivided and sold on instalment plans that later became entangled through inheritance and informal transfers. He said systematic registration lets the state approach eligible occupants directly rather than waiting for individual applications.

Montague urged new title holders to pay property taxes, protect their documents, and encourage neighbours still outstanding to complete their files. He also warned against squatting on state land and attempts to seize property through adverse possession.

Beneficiary Rosemary Pink, speaking on behalf of recipients, said the titles brought security and pride after a long wait. Smith also pressed Holness on poor road conditions along Fairview Avenue, a major local thoroughfare.