By: Emmanuel Amoah
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has firmly denied allegations that government officials are involved in state capture and the indiscriminate sale of public lands. He dismissed these claims as unfounded and politically motivated, especially with elections approaching.
In a press briefing at the Ministry of Information on Wednesday, August 14, Mr. Jinapor emphasized that the accusations are baseless and lack any substantial evidence. He explained that, like previous administrations, the current government has occasionally allocated public lands to private entities for various developmental projects. However, some individuals have misleadingly portrayed these legitimate transactions, which date back several decades, as evidence of state capture.
Mr. Jinapor highlighted the example of bungalows belonging to the Judicial Service in Cantonments, which were sold to private developers long before the current government took office. He questioned the motives of those who now accuse the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration of wrongdoing, despite having overseen such transactions themselves in the past.
To reinforce the government’s commitment to protecting public lands, Mr. Jinapor outlined measures taken by the Akufo-Addo administration. These include a policy directive issued to the Lands Commission in August 2021, requiring prior approval from the Minister’s office for any transactions involving public land. Additionally, a Public Lands Protection Team was established to recover encroached lands and prevent further encroachments, working in collaboration with the Lands Commission and the Ghana Police Service.
In summary, Mr. Jinapor assured the public that the current government is acting diligently to safeguard public lands in the interest of the nation.
