By: Emmanuel Amoah
The Minority in Parliament has called on the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to urgently release a comprehensive list of government lands in the Northern Region that have been leased without the necessary approvals.
Members of Parliament from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) stressed that this disclosure is vital for recovering these lands and identifying those responsible for the unauthorized leases.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, September 3, Alhassan Suhuyini, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Lands and Natural Resources Committee, criticized the government’s tendency to withhold important information from the public.
He highlighted the need for transparency, especially when public lands are involved, and urged the government to publish the list of unapproved leases. According to Suhuyini, public scrutiny is essential for ensuring accountability and preventing further unauthorized land transactions.
The NDC MPs also called for disciplinary actions against any Lands Commission staff involved in these illegal activities. Suhuyini emphasized that strict measures must be taken to deter similar practices in the future.
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the press, due to our collective activism against dubious allocations of state lands to private individuals, the government has been compelled to retreat and has announced that the Northern Regional Lands Commission has been directed to reverse several leases of public lands granted to private developers without the prior approval of the President,” Suhuyini stated.
He further added, “It would be highly irresponsible if the Minister and President do not sanction the officials involved in the illegal allocation of these government lands. We therefore demand the immediate dismissal and criminal investigation of the officials responsible for these unapproved leases. Additionally, we call on the Minister to publish the full report of the three-member committee set up to investigate the transfer of public lands in the Northern Region, in the interest of transparency and good governance.”
