Government is not selling state lands - Jinapor

Ghana's Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has categorically dismissed charges that the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration sells state lands to cronies.

In a press event on Wednesday, August 14, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Samuel Abu Jinapor addressed the allegations, expressing surprise at the assertions regarding the disposal of public lands.

Jinapor emphasized that several of the contested properties, such as a plot of land in Cantonment and the W.E.B. DuBois Centre, were not sold by the present NPP government. In light of this information, he found it odd that those who sold those state lands would later accuse President Akufo-Addo of state capture.

"There are allegations that this government has sold some bungalows belonging to the Judiciary Service at Cantonment to a private developer. These bungalows in question were sold as far back as July 13, 2015, to a company named Frimps Oil Company Limited following an approval granted by the then Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Nii Osah Mills, on June 2, 2015.

“Is it therefore not surprising that the very people who supervised the sale of this property to Frimps Oil Company Limited will turn around and accuse the Akufo-Addo government of state capture.

“For the W.E.B. DuBois Centre, as we have explained in our press release of July 16, 2024, the Lands Commission, the manager of Public Lands and Repository of Records of Lands Transactions has no pending application for the transfer of this land and for the avoidance of doubt, the land in question as we speak, remains in the name of the Dubois Centre.”

“The above examples clearly show that allegations of state capture and the narrative that this government is indiscriminately selling public lands are palpably false without merit and obviously actuated by political considerations given the heated political season we find ourselve," he stated.

“The Akufo-Addo has been meticulous in protecting public lands in the public interest,” the Lands Minister added.

Source : Lead News Online