Public lands secure - Minister assures nation

The government has been acquiring new lands to supplement public lands for the development needs of the country.

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor, who disclosed this Wednesday, said the government had also put in place measures to protect existing public lands.

Mr Jinapor, who was addressing the public on the state of public lands, mentioned the acquisitions to include the 13,230-acre land at Afienya, Dawhenya for an Industrial Enclave and Urban Development, the 509-acre land between Afienya and New Akrade for railway development, and the 237-acre land in Tamale for the University for Development Studies, all acquired in 2018.  

He, therefore, refuted allegations of wanton dissipation of public lands or what had been described by some as “state capture”.

“Ghana’s public lands are intact and secure. This government will continue to do everything possible to protect the public lands of our country and make sure that the management and utilisation are in the interest of Ghanaians who are the owners of the lands,” he said at a news conference in Accra yesterday.

Schemes

Mr Jinapor further said the government had also put public lands to good use by implementing several schemes that would be of immense benefit to the public.

“Several schemes are being implemented in Kumasi Sector 18, which comprises of Ridge, Danyame and Nhyiaeso Residential areas; Old Tamale Airport and Cape Coast Ridge Sectors 1, 2 and 3 Residential Areas,” he said.

Protection of public lands

Mr Jinapor explained that contrary to allegations that public lands had been dissipated under the current government, the evidence on record had rather shown that the government had initiated measures to protect public lands.

He mentioned one of such measures as a directive by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on August 17, 2021 for the Lands Commission to refer all grants of interest in public lands to the President, through the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources for approval pursuant to Article 258(2) of the 1992 Constitution.

“In the Northern Region, for example, the Regional Lands Commission has been directed to reverse a number of leases over public lands granted to private developers without the prior approval of the President, in accordance with this policy directive,” the Minister of Lands stated.

Another measure he mentioned was a recent Cabinet directive for all public institutions and corporations, including public universities, not to enter into contracts for the transfer of public lands which had not been expressly authorised by the President.

According to Mr Jinapor, the two directives rendered any such contracts for the lease of public lands contrary to the directives null and void.

“The days of public institutions entering into public-private partnership agreements with public lands without the approval of the President are obviously over, and any person who enters into any such transaction, does so at his/her own risk,” he said.

“All these measures have been put in place to ensure the protection of public lands and to regulate their utilisation,” the minister added.

Mr Jinapor also revealed that pursuant to the orders of President Akufo-Addo, the Lands Commission was currently taking inventory of all public lands as well as those that had been leased or alienated to private individuals since the advent of the fourth republic on January 7, 1993.

Context

The issue of selling or leasing of state lands and properties to public officials, businessmen, politicians and others has dominated the country for decades, transcending many administrations.

Recently, there have been numerous allegations that public lands entrusted to critical public institutions have been sold without due regard to the law to state officials, private individuals and businesses, as well as family members and friends of top government officials.

Leading the allegations is the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who accused the government of selling the lands of public institutions such as those of the Department of Parks and Gardens, Judicial Service, the Prisons Service and the Du Bois Centre, all in Accra, to its cronies, describing the said sales as state capture.

Misinformation

Mr Jinapor, however, debunked the allegations, describing them as misinformation laced with partisanship and a desperate attempt to discredit the government.

He reiterated an earlier response to the allegation, stating emphatically that the said public lands in question were not leased under the current government.

For the Prisons Service lands, Mr Jinapor explained that they were allocated in 2005 during the Kufuor-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) Administration and had been a subject of litigation, resulting in a court judgment, while the Du Bois Centre land had not been sold contrary to allegations by Mr Ablakwa.

“What is the role of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government in a land granted to a private developer as far back as 2005,” he queried.

The minister said the Parks and Gardens and Judicial Service lands were leased to private companies on November 29, 2016 and July 13, 2015 respectively during the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) Administration.

Throwing more light on the Parks and Gardens lands, Mr Jinapor explained that the lease was pursuant to a request on August 12, 2012, by the then Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, signed by his Deputy, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, with the proceeds said to be used to provide Parks and Gardens with a new office.

“And yet, even though the land was leased in 2016, in accordance with the Minister’s request, we haven’t seen the new office complex of the Department of Parks and Gardens,” he said.

While admitting that the sale of public lands in itself was not illegal as such lands could be used by the private sector to promote development, Mr Jinapor said it was not right for public officials to acquire public lands due to the issue of conflict of interest.

He, therefore, dared critics who had evidence of any public official acquiring land under his tenure in a manner that abused the code of conduct of the public service, to come forward for appropriate actions to be taken.

Writer’s email: emma.hawkson@graphic.com.gh