Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has confronted Lands Minister Samuel Abu Jinapor, over his denial of the sale of state lands by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
The Lands Minister, at a press conference on Wednesday, August 14, in response to Okudzeto Ablakwa’s accusations of land grabbing and state capture, rejected the allegations, stating that most of the lands in question were handed to private individuals to develop in the interest of the state.
“The allegations of state capture and the narrative that this government is indiscriminately selling public lands, are all palpably false, without merit, and, obviously, actuated by political considerations given that we are nearing elections,” Lands Minister said.
Addressing a counter press conference in Parliament on Thursday, the North Tongu MP challenged the Lands Minister’s position, accusing the government of being complicit in the act.
“We have come to the firm conclusion that the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government is deliberately refusing to disclose the status of all public lands in our country because they are complicit. They know that when the full facts emerge, they will be exposed for the massive land grabs and unquestionable state capture they have engaged in,” he said.
He accused the government of failing to comply with Parliament’s directive for a compilation of all public lands, noting that it has been more than two years since the request was made, yet the Lands Ministry has failed to provide the list.
Mr Ablakwa argued that this failure demonstrates that the Lands Ministry is not fulfilling its constitutional mandate.
Additionally, he argued that when the Minister was invited to the Assurance Committee of Parliament, he kept making excuses insisting that his ministry was still compiling the list.
Source: myjoyonline.com
