An International Relations Expert, Richard Gomado has suggested that the demolition of the Bulgarian Embassy by a private developer is an attack on the country.
Mr. Richard Gomado described as unfortunate government’s handling of the demolishing of the Bulgarian Embassy in Accra. He stated that Ghana as a sovereign State has the power to stop any construction and cannot fathom why the situation seems unsolvable for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Remember we had a similar situation with some other Embassy and within the diplomatic relations, when it comes to issues like demolishing the embassy like we have done, it’s an attack on their county. It may have international security ramifications and I think it could have been far better when using the diplomatic channel instead of going the way we went about it.”
Richard Gomado
Mr. Gomado intimated that the statement from the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs that suggested that the Ministry had difficulty stopping the work by the Private developer is worrying. He averred that the statement alone is an indictment on the State because the State has power over every individual, over every construction of any sort and should have been a bit more forceful and a bit more forthright in dealing with this issue.
“There is nothing the State cannot do, particularly when it is an individual who is entrenching on the right of some other embassy. Remember we could also be affected in some other country and what goes around comes around. It’s unfortunate. We are talking about the statement from the State, a State Minister cannot speak that way. It’s an indictment, it’s unfortunate and I think we should look back and realign and begin to proceed consciously and proactively as a nation.”
Richard Gomado
Sole inquirer inaugurated to investigate land dispute
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has inaugurated a Sole Inquirer to investigate the circumstances surrounding the true ownership of some parcel of land in dispute between the Bulgarian Embassy and a private developer.
In a brief background to this move, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor stated his Ministry’s attention was drawn to media reports about the demolishing of the Bulgarian Embassy by some private individuals, which received immediate action of sending out a team led by his Deputy Minister in charge of Lands and Forestry, Benito Owusu-Bio, who acting on instructions, halted all activities on the land until further notice.
The Minister stated that government has no hand in the said demolition exercise, stressing that the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who has previously served as the Minister for Foreign Affairs, would be the last person to authorize any act that affects diplomatic relations or the country’s obligations under international law. Samuel Jinapor averred that to enable him in the capacity as the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources to take the necessary consequential actions, there is the need to commission a full investigation into the circumstances leading to the alleged demolition and the development of the property.
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