Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Chairman of the Assurances Committee of Parliament and Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency in the Volta Region, has leveled serious accusations against the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel Abu Jinapor.
Hon. Ablakwa alleged that the minister is engaged in a cover-up concerning the scandal surrounding the demolition of diplomatic missions in Ghana, particularly the Bulgarian embassy.
Hon. Ablakwa asserted that the minister’s public statements, especially those characterizing the demolition of the Bulgarian embassy as a private affair, are directly contradicted by evidence contained in the minister’s own sole enquirer report.
“The minister has been less than forthcoming about the true nature of these events. What has been portrayed as a mere private dispute is, in fact, a complex web of fraudulent activities that implicate high-ranking officials within the government.”
Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Chairman of the Assurances Committee of Parliament
At the heart of Mr. Ablakwa’s accusations lies a sole enquirer report obtained by the Minority in Parliament, which contradicts Minister Jinapor’s claims regarding the demolition being a private affair.
According to Hon. Ablakwa, the report revealed that the land title certificate of the Bulgarian embassy had been fraudulently cancelled by officials at the Lands Commission, implicating a government appointee as the primary beneficiary of this fraudulent act.
“The sole enquirer report, commissioned by the government and kept under wraps, sheds light on the fraudulent cancellation of the land title of the Bulgarian embassy. This report implicates a government appointee as the primary beneficiary of this fraudulent action.”
Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Chairman of the Assurances Committee of Parliament
Hon. Ablakwa expressed outrage over the government’s refusal to publish the report, which he suggests is a deliberate attempt to shield the implicated individuals from public scrutiny.
“The refusal to publish this report is a clear indication of a cover-up. The public deserves to know the truth about what transpired, and this government’s attempts to bury the findings only deepen suspicions of their complicity.”
Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Chairman of the Assurances Committee of Parliament
In a particularly damning section of his remarks, Hon. Ablakwa accused Dr. Yaw Adu-Ampomah, a presidential appointee at the National Development Planning Commission, of being a key beneficiary of the fraudulent land deal that led to the demolition of the Bulgarian embassy.
According to Hon. Ablakwa, Dr. Adu-Ampomah played a significant role in orchestrating the events that led to the embassy’s destruction, further entangling government officials in the scandal.
Hon. Ablakwa also accused the government of complicity in the scandal, citing evidence that officials had colluded with private individuals to carry out the demolition.
“The inability or unwillingness to bring Jojo Hagan to light speaks volumes about the level of collusion within the government.
“This is not just a case of administrative oversight—this is a deliberate attempt to obstruct justice and protect those responsible.”
Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Chairman of the Assurances Committee of Parliament
According to Hon. Ablakwa, the government would be liable to compensate the Bulgarian government if Jojo Hagan could not be located. The Lands Commission has estimated that the compensation could amount to 5.3 million Ghana cedis, a significant financial burden on the state due to what Mr. Ablakwa describes as “government malfeasance.”
Criticism of Government Transparency and Accountability
Mr. Ablakwa did not hold back in his criticism of the government’s overall handling of the scandal. He condemned what he described as a waste of taxpayer funds on commissions and investigations.
“We cannot continue to waste public funds on investigations whose findings are never disclosed to the people. This lack of transparency and accountability is deeply troubling and undermines the very foundations of our democracy.”
Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Chairman of the Assurances Committee of Parliament
Hon. Ablakwa called for immediate action to rectify the situation. He demanded that the government release the full report to the public and take swift action against those implicated in the scandal.
Hon. Ablakwa also urged his fellow parliamentarians and civil society organizations to hold the government accountable for what he described as “a blatant abuse of power and trust.”
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