Professor Ransford Gyampo of the University of Ghana has concurred with the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, over the need to probe sale of public lands irrespective of the regime under which it occurred.
The Professor has expressed the necessity to end the over-politicisation of matters relating to the State in order to proffer solutions to them.
The concerns stem from claims by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, that state lands that have been captured were done under the erstwhile Mahama administration.
Addressing the press at a news conference in Accra Wednesday, August 14, 2024, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, described the allegations as “palpable falsehood”.
“The allegation was that the judicial service land was sold under this Akufo-Addo government and that is evidence of state capture but when these allegations are made my attitude is very simple, to put together the record, and assemble the facts before we make any decision.
“When the facts were assembled it turned out that the lands were not sold by under President Akufo-Addo. On the contrary, the land was sold under President Mahama in 2015,” he reemphasised.
But according to Professor Gyampo, the focus should be on getting those lands back to the state for development purposes, irrespective of the regime under which they occurred.
“I like the approach Sammy [Okudzeto Ablakwa] has taken that even if the lands were sold in 1992, regardless of whoever sold the land, I think the way to go is that the sale of public lands in a manner that disregard the purposes for which these lands were acquired should be a no-no. It is not about it is the NDC or NPP that sold it. If it is not good, it should be regardless of the regime that undertook the transaction,” he stated.
His argument was in line with a stance which had earlier been taken by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, on the same show.
“Even if the state assets we are losing, we started losing them even from 20 years ago, I don’t care whether it is Rawlings’ period or President Kufuor’s period, is the Minister saying the current generation of leaders shouldn’t be concerned?” he quizzed.
Government is selling State lands as if there is no tomorrow – Ablakwa laments
