Opinion: Samuel Abu Jinapor and his Land Looters

The Lands Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor thinks he can say anything and get away with it;

Abu Jinapor’s lies have finally caught up with him…

Samuel Abu Jinapor promised on the Joy FM Super Morning Show a few weeks ago that he was ready to publish the status of all State Acquired Lands within a week of the interview.

Subsequently, the same Lands Minister confessed to the Parliament Assurances Committee that he was unable to publish the status of all State Acquired Lands because it was impossible given that the Lands Commission database was not digitized.

Barely two weeks after the confession, Samuel Abu Jinapor addresses a Press Conference at the information Ministry making claims that contradicted all his earlier claims and EXPOSED SAMUEL ABU JINAPOR AS A SERIAL LIAR NOT WORTHY OF PUBLIC OFFICE.

The essence of his latest statement is that;

1) Government has not sold or leased any land and therefore all developments on State Lands are illegal and void as they did not have the prior approval of the President in whom the lands are vested.

2) President Akufo-Addo has directed all state institutions including Public Universities not to lease, sublet, assign, transfer, dispose of, or otherwise create any third party interest in any public land granted or allocated them.

3) Encroached State Lands are being protected by the Lands Ministry, yet was silent about the illegal agreement between the Lands Ministry and the notorious Landguard Clemence Gyato and his Anyok Holdings Vigilante group to reclaim encroached State Lands and be paid with portions of the State Lands as disclosed by the Chief Director of the Lands Ministry to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Lands earlier this year.

LANDS MINISTRY WEBSITE:

GHANA’s PUBLIC LANDS ARE SAFE, INTACT AND SECURE- LANDS MINISTER.

Hon. Samuel Jinapor reiterated his belief that the government has been very meticulous and diligent in protecting the public lands and preventing them from being grabbed by undeserving persons and institutions.

He said government has also been a journey to recover state lands which have been encroached upon and made major gains in the recovery effort.

Indeed, the evidence shows that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia Government has been meticulous in protecting public lands in the public interest.

On 17th August, 2021, with the approval of the President of the Republic, a policy directive was issued to the Lands Commission, pursuant to article 258(2) of the national Constitution to “refer all transactions relating to the grant of any interest in public land to the office of the Minister for prior approval.”

This was to ensure that the President of the Republic, in whom these lands are vested, discharges his constitutional duty in an informed manner.

The directive, further, stated that “Any deed executed without the approval of the President through the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources would be deemed void as same would have been done without the authority of the President in whom these lands are vested.”

“Just a couple of weeks ago, Cabinet issued further Directive to all public bodies, public institutions and public corporations (including public universities) not to lease, sublet, assign, transfer, dispose of, or otherwise create any third party interest in any public land granted or allocated them without the prior written approval of the President of the Republic.

This Directive, which was subsequently published in the Dailies on Thursday, August 8, 2024, applies to all public lands that have been granted to public institutions, whether by way of freehold, leasehold or any other form of grant, he indicated.

“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.

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

ABU JINAPOR’S FOLLY:

The Minister must decide which of his contradictory statements he wants to stand by.

Samuel Abu Jinapor’s latest statement implies he should be demolishing unlawful structures on all state lands or retrieving these State Lands from all third-parties.

UNLESS HE AUTHORISED THE SALE, LEASE OR GRANT.

If Samuel Abu Jinapor fails to publish all status of all State Acquired Lands by the end of August;

He must be removed from office by the President or Ghanaians…

If Samuel Abu Jinapor fails to give details of the Agreement between his ministry and the notorious Landguard Clemence Gyato on encroached State Acquired Lands;

He must be dragged before the Parliamentary Select Committee on Lands…

I dare Samuel Abu Jinapor to a debate on Land Looting under his watch, including the Achimota Forest, State Bungalows in Cantonments, Labone and Airport…

Ghanaians are neither stupid nor fools as Abu Jinapor believes.

Ghanaians do not care about the nationality, political affiliation or ethnicity of those stealing the Prime State Lands.

Samuel Abu Jinapor must disclose when he intends to implement the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee Report presented to him on 6th May, 2024.

The recommendations included the return of State acquired lands for which compensation has not been paid to the Stool from which the Lands were acquired.

The entire Trade Fair Acquisition which includes the Hotels and Beach Resorts along the La Beachfront must be returned to the La Stool.

ABU JINAPOR’S END HAS COME…
all he has been hiding is coming out.

By Prince-Derek Adjei