Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP for North Tongu has questioned whether the NPP Minority in Parliament is attacking President Mahama’s widely acclaimed ORAL anti-corruption initiative out of fear that Ghanaians will soon uncover the atrocities committed by some of their members.
He highlighted a shocking example of an NPP MP acquiring prime public land in Cantonments for a mere GHS42,000.00 (US$2,800.00).
Alblakwa pointed out that according to “unimpeachable and irrefutable” documents from the Lands Commission, President Akufo-Addo authorized this outrageously unconscionable transaction in 2021.
“The NPP MP who benefited from this condemnable rip-off is Hon. Kennedy Osei Nyarko, MP for Akim Swedru. From the Lands Commission’s records, Hon. Kennedy Osei Nyarko now owns the prestigious land in issue for 99 years (from 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2120)”.
“The unbelievable terms of this sweetheart deal only required the MP to pay an annual ground rent of a meager GHS10,500.00 from 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2024 amounting to GHS42,000.00 (US$2,800.00) for him to take over the land”.
Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Hon. Ablakwa lamented that such a deal would not qualify for land in any of his sacred villages in North Tongu.
He pointed out that under the “lootocratic” and highly offensive agreement, the GHS10,500.00 ground rent could be reviewed every five years over 99 years.
He noted that for all other Ghanaians not among President Akufo-Addo’s favored cronies, prevailing market rates at the time required a lump sum payment of between US$700,000.00 and US$800,000.00, in addition to ongoing ground rent payments. “Compare US$700,000.00 for every other Ghanaian and US$2,800.00 for a few NPP cronies”.
Ablakwa highlighted the irony that this involves the Cantonments Agric Mechanization land, which Hon. Kennedy Osei Nyarko, as a former Deputy Agric Minister, should have been committed to protecting.
He pointed out that instead, Nyarko actively colluded with elements of the former administration to illegally rezone the land without parliamentary approval.
This led to the forcible eviction of staff from Agric Mechanization and members of the Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association, simply because he and a few politically connected individuals coveted the prime land.
Ablakwa Criticizes Land Deal, Calls for Accountability on State Assets
Furthermore, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa emphasized that Article 257 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution clearly states that public lands belong to all Ghanaians, with President Akufo-Addo acting merely as a caretaker on their behalf.
Accordingly, Ablakwa remarked that selling these lands is far from the kind of stewardship expected from the former President in his role as a caretaker of public lands.
He noted that the GHS42,000.00 Cantonments land deal underscores the grave injustice and deep corruption associated with looting public lands and other state assets under the previous Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration.
“What is not right is certainly not right. I know there are many patriotic NPP members who will not support such naked injustice. Those who have not looted from the Ghanaian people do not attack ORAL — indeed, they boldly support ORAL, as the Constitution demands of all good citizens.
“The current generation of politicians must reflect and acknowledge that if those who came before us engaged in such despicable unpatriotic conduct, no state asset would have been left for us. At this rate, what state assets are we leaving behind for the youth and for subsequent generations?”
Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Ablakwa further questioned how the country can develop if strategic state assets are looted by a select few.
He expressed full agreement with Prof. Kwaku Azar’s view that ORAL must be complemented by OPAL (Operation Prevent All Loot).
Ablakwa pointed out that this is why he is actively pursuing his private member’s bill aimed at banning politicians and politically exposed persons from purchasing state assets. “My bill also makes it mandatory for all transactions on state assets to receive parliamentary approval”.
He emphasized that the Ghanaian people must first be convinced that there is a valid justification for selling state assets.
According to him, the bill also stipulates that transactions must undergo value-for-money audits, and the amounts involved, as well as the beneficiaries, must be made public for the people to know.
Ablakwa stated that ORAL is for the collective good of our nation—let us disregard those who try to reduce it to trivial NDC-NPP political banter. “Let’s remain united and focused in stopping the looting brigade. ORAL has come to stay!”
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