Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa writes
Is the NPP Minority in Parliament launching such vicious, vile and baseless attacks at President Mahama’s widely celebrated ORAL anti-corruption initiative because of the fear that soon Ghanaians will come into full knowledge of the atrocities some of their members have committed against the people?
Let’s consider this shocking example of an NPP MP buying our prime Cantonments public land at an extremely ridiculous GHS42,000.00 (US$2,800.00).
Unimpeachable and irrefutable Lands Commission documents reveal that President Akufo-Addo authorized this outrageously unconscionable transaction in 2021. (See attached).
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 meagre 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.
This deal would not even qualify for land in any of my holy villages in North Tongu.
According to the ‘lootocratic’ and exceptionally offensive agreement, the GHS10,500.00 ground rent may be reviewed every five years within the 99 years.
For all other Ghanaians who were not President Akufo-Addo’s anointed cronies, prevailing market rates at the time dictated that one ought to pay between US$700,000.00 and US$800,000.00 as lump sum consideration. After that, one is required to pay ground rent to authorities as well.
Compare US$700,000.00 for every other Ghanaian and US$2,800.00 for a few NPP cronies.
The irony is that this is the Cantonments Agric Mechanization land Hon. Kennedy Osei Nyarko should have been keen on protecting as a former Deputy Agric Minister. He should not have actively colluded with elements in the former administration to illegally rezone without parliamentary approval, forcefully evict staff of Agric Mechanization and members of the Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association just because he and a few politically exposed persons covet the choice land.
Article 257 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution is clear that public lands belong to all Ghanaians. President Akufo-Addo was merely a caretaker on our behalf. This is certainly not the kind of trusteeship we expected.
The GHS42,000.00 Cantonments land deal highlights the grave injustice and deep rot associated with how public lands and other state assets were looted under the erstwhile 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?
How can we develop our country if all strategic state assets are looted by a few?
I wholeheartedly agree with Prof. Kwaku Azar that ORAL must go with OPAL (Operation Prevent All Loot) — this is why I am vigorously pursuing my private members bill which seeks to ban 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. The Ghanaian people must first of all be convinced that there is even justification for selling that state asset.
It is also in the bill that the transactions must go through value for money audits, and the amounts involved and beneficiaries must be published for the Ghanaian people to know.
ORAL is for our collective good as a nation— let us ignore those who seek to reduce this to a pedestrian NDC-NPP banter.
Let’s remain united and focused in stopping the looting brigade.
ORAL has come to stay!
State Capture shall surely be defeated!
The loot shall be recovered!
For God and Country.
Ghana First.
