Atta Akyea calls for legislative instrument to stop the sale of state lands

Member of Parliament (MP) for Akim Abuakwa South, Samuel Atta Akyea has called for a legislature that will prevent individuals, including public office holders from buying state property.

According to him, a legislative instrument banning the National Lands Commission from offering state lands for sale to the public is the only way of preventing matters such as the law suit against NPP Chairman, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, from reoccurring.

The NPP Chairman was sued by Deputy Information Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Deputy Sports Minister, Dr Omane Boamah  for allegedly attempting to buy a government bungalow he occupied as a Minister of Tourism.

However, by a 6-3 majority decision, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled in favour of the accused, arguing that the plaintiffs failed to prove the conflict of interest allegation it leveled against Jake Obetsebi Lamptey.

Speaking on e.tv Ghana’s morning show, Awake, Lawyer Atta Akyea said, “Let’s have a policy. If we believe as a people that state lands should not be sold even if the state will rake in money and the state does not need the land for whatever purpose but wants to sell the land. Let’s come out with a policy that we have this law that nobody can buy a state land.”

According to him, it was not the first time someone had in or out of government had bought a state property stemming from the fact that a redevelopment arrangement under then President Rawlings in 1999 made it possible for state lands to be sold out by the Lands Commission.

“If we do not have a policy like that and the Lands Commission has a redevelopment programme dating back 1999 and is selling now, why do we blame people of going to take advantage of offers?” he questioned.

“If we frown on the selling of state lands, that’s another issue and another policy that we should look at and interrogate. That look, state lands should never be sold out to anyone. Fine! Then it’s a rule of thumb that we are never going to do that. But so far as the Lands Commission is constitutionally mandated to manage state lands and selling off state property, it doesn’t matter,” he fumed.

The Akim Abuakwa South MP further noted that the move by the sitting Ministers was a deliberate act to single out one person who has acquired state lands in an attempt to embarrass him.

He said, “It’s a packaging of legal suit. Indeed and in fact this is propaganda masquerading a legal suit. There is no morality with what we are doing. If somebody else could acquire a property by the state through an offer made by the lands commission, its offer and acceptance. It is just an ordinary contract. But if we want to give it a political colouring that Jake is a pillar in NPP and that we could disgrace Jake as propably a land grabber without conscience.”

Lawyer Atta Akyea also gave a word of advice, saying, “If you package balderdash and send it to court and even if your cousin is the judge, you won’t win the case. Let us be very careful not to make the judiciary an extension of any political party. But I’m afraid, If you don’t package your case according to law and your motivation is propaganda, you will be embarrassed no matter your political colouring.

“If we want to move from that realm where people can acquire state land, then let’s have a policy. Let’s legislate it that if you are ever a public officer, even after you’ve gotten out of public office, you are not permitted to buy state lands. It not, then excuse me to say that we are just pushing propaganda.”

Touching on a recent development regarding the pronouncements made by the current occupant and Director of Operations at the Castle, Nii Lante Vanderpuiye, Lawyer Atta Akyea noted that it was a clear case of abuse of power.

“I thank God he has done it and it exposes the vile tendencies of people. You see abuse of power that if I’m in power and somebody has bought it then let me go and take it. It’s like potatoes envying tomatoes. It’s very sad that he’s saying this,” he said.

According to Nii Lante, he would not vacate the premises since the bungalow was given him by the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing and not the Supreme Court.

Jasmine Arku / etvghana.com

Will a legislative instrument bring to an end the manner in which state properties are being acquired by public officials?