Ablakwa Exposes NPP’s Latest State Land Grab, Vows to Pursue Legal Action

Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has stated that ongoing, meticulous parliamentary oversight has uncovered even more alarming levels of state capture under the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government than previously anticipated.

According to Ablakwa, it is evident that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration is not content with the controversial acquisition of state lands in the Cantonments, Labone, Ridge, and Airport areas—practices for which they have become infamous following his well-documented exposés.

He further alleged that the NPP’s “looting brigade” has now shifted its focus to Agric Extension Lands near the prime El-Wak Sports Stadium area in Accra, continuing what he described as a brazen spree of asset appropriation.

“The land in issue was originally acquired by the State under Certificate of Title dated 20th March 1936 for an Aerodrome. On 16th October 1959, the Government of Ghana issued a Certificate of Allocation to the Chief Agriculture Officer. This State land has from 1959 been protected by all Presidents since the 1992 Constitution vests all public lands in the President to be held on behalf of, and in trust for, the people of Ghana.”

Okudzeto Ablakwa further noted that, under Ghana’s Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925), the re-zoning of public spaces requires parliamentary approval.

However, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has neither sought nor obtained such approval for the re-zoning of the Agric Extension Lands, which he described as the latest target of their indiscriminate land acquisitions.

The MP alleged that, in what he characterized as a reckless, unpatriotic, and excessively greedy move, the government has forcibly evicted all Agric officials from the area and illegally redistributed the prime land to NPP officials and their cronies.

He emphasized that a parliamentary oversight field inspection conducted on December 4, 2024, confirmed that all existing bungalows on the Agric Extension Lands had been demolished. “Contractors are hurriedly completing the erection of a wall while others build residential accommodation with great speed at day and night.”

According to Ablakwa, a formal search conducted by his oversight team at the Lands Commission has revealed a notable list of new politically exposed persons within the NPP who now own portions of the Agric Extension Lands.

He disclosed that the land has been divided into 60 parcels and distributed by President Akufo-Addo to his associates at outrageously low prices, likening the process to handing out confetti.

The NDC stalwart further alleged that the entire transaction lacked transparency, as it was conducted in utmost secrecy without any public advertisement or competitive process with the new NPP land owners offered a 99-year lease by President Akufo-Addo.

He highlighted that none of the recipients paid more than GHS 300,000 for a plot of land.

Okudzeto Ablakwa further stated that key NPP officials benefiting from this latest state capture scheme include Nana Attobrah Quaicoe, the current Director-General of the National Intelligence Bureau, and NPP MP Kennedy Osei Nyarko.

He revealed that according to the official certificate from their search, signed by Elder Ekow Edwards (Assistant Geomatic Engineer), President Akufo-Addo granted a 99-year lease to Nana Attobrah Quaicoe on May 11, 2021.

Ablakwa explained that Mr. Quaicoe is the rightful owner of Parcel Number 8, and attached to this publication is an irrefutable copy of the official search certificate.

“Nana Attobrah Quaicoe was the Executive Director of Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko’s Danquah Institute before President Akufo-Addo controversially appointed him Deputy Director-General of the then BNI in April 2019, and subsequently substantive Director-General.

“When the top echelons of our national security apparatus are actively engaged in disgraceful State Capture, one can begin to understand why all the previous State Capture cases including the recent dawn raid of GIS lands and the criminal demolishing of the North Labone home of the Lomotey/Adotey family by the politically connected Dream Citrix which the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration claimed security officials were investigating have all turned out to be a pathetic charade.”

Ablakwa also pointed out that Akim Swedru MP, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, who was a former Deputy Minister for Agriculture during President Akufo-Addo’s first term, was granted his 99-year lease by President Akufo-Addo on March 4, 2024, making him the owner of Parcel Number 18.

The NDC lawmaker raised concerns, noting that although Nyarko finalized his purchase in 2024, after leaving the Agriculture Ministry, ethical questions remain regarding his role in facilitating the land grab.

He emphasized that it is unfortunate that history will not remember the former Deputy Minister for protecting the Agric Extension Lands under his watch, but instead for becoming part of the group benefiting from the land appropriation.

Ablakwa also mentioned that other senior NPP officials used companies and proxies to register their claims on the looted state land, but, unfortunately for them, they have all been exposed. Stressing, “It is most relieving that incoming President John Mahama has pledged a national probe and strict retrieval of all looted State lands.”

According to Ablakwa, this latest exposé underscores the urgency of the Private Member’s Bill he is sponsoring, which aims to prevent politically exposed persons from purchasing state assets. “I am absolutely glad that the NDC Manifesto promises to support this initiative and ensure that this law is passed”.

He pledged that he will not abandon the bill when the NDC wins Saturday’s election, emphasizing that political office holders must not be allowed to continue the despicable and unconscionable practice of looting state assets entrusted to their care, adding that the only way to halt this blatant and damaging state capture is to vote out the corrupt and irredeemably greedy NPP government, which loots with impunity.

He expressed confidence that under President Mahama’s Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL), the monumental mess created by the NPP will be addressed, and state assets will be returned to the Ghanaian people.

“We shall have our lands back and State Capture shall surely be defeated on Saturday, December 7.”

By Leo Nelson || Ghananewsonline.com.gh