Ablakwa refutes land minister’s comments on alleged sale of state lands

Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament for North Tongu, has refuted Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, comments on the alleged sale of state lands.

At a press conference on Wednesday, August 14, Mr Jinapor, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, rejected Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa’s previous accusations of alleged land grabbing and state capture, stating that the majority of the lands in question were given to private individuals to develop in the state’s interest.

“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,” Mr Jinapor said.

However, during a counter-press conference in Parliament on Thursday, Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa questioned Mr Jinapor’s position.

He accused 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,” Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa stated.

He also accused the government of failing to comply with Parliament’s directive to compile a list of all public lands, pointing out that the request had been made more than two years ago and the Lands Ministry had yet to provide the list.

The North Tongu Legislator claimed that the failure demonstrated that the Lands Ministry was not carrying out its constitutional mandate.

He also claimed 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: GNA