North Tongu lawmaker Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said that records at the Lands Commission reveal that 11 acres of lands belonging to the Ghana International Trade Fair Centre in Accra have been taken river by a private developer.
He says the developer has started building on the land.
He says this is evidence that despite the revelations he has been making on state capture, politically exposed people are still acquiring public lands at “ridiculous” prices.
“Let nobody think state capture is an exaggeration, it is real, and many people are recounting their ordeals…Politically exposed persons still capturing lands at ridiculous prices,” he said on the Key Points on TV3 on Saturday, September 14.
“Can you imagine that per records at the Lands Commission, 11 acres of trade fair lands, somebody has taken over and has started developing,”he stressed.
He further stated that “Natural resources belong to all of us, citizens must have a right not only to know how their state resources are being managed. Citizens also have the right to enjoy their properties with peace, serenity, and sanctity and they should not be under constant harassment and inundation as though we have become a banana republic where might is right. if you think you have political power then you just take whatever your eyes set upon, that can’t be tolerated, that can’t be a democracy.”
“Pime lands, at very jewel locations, are what have come under attack, cantonment, Labone airport …I am not impressed with the president’s statement. The statement is in bad faith, and prejudicial. You are calling for investigations, what do you? In all fairness to all sides we are making a formal complaint to the IGP and you stop there, you don’t have to take sides and present the narration that you have been told by Superintendent Opoku as the fact. This statement has prejudiced the matter, any investigation will be useless, ”
The Presidency said it does not have any interest whatsoever in the piece of land in question.
“No officer, agent or assign has been directed to secure and/or interfere in any matter pertaining to GIS land within Cantonments; the said Chief Superintendent Ibrahim Opoku of the VVIP unit of the OOP did his professional duty by handing over alleged encroachers and suspects to the Cantonments Police Station when he chanced upon an altercation at the Cantonments barrier on his way from work; and
“The Chief Superintendent submitted his credentials at the police station, as he is enjoined to do, as part of standard operating procedure in such situations,” a statement issued on Thursday September 5 said.
In light of the above, the Office of the President said it has made a formal complaint to the Inspector General of Police to investigate the entire matter.
“Meanwhile we call on the general public to disregard as false any statements to the contrary,” the statement said.
Source: 3news.com
