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Public lands must not be sold at cheaper prices – Armah-Kofi Buah

Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Minister-Designate for Lands and Natural Resources, has firmly opposed the sale of public lands, emphasising that any future transactions involving such lands must be conducted at prevailing market rates to protect the interests of the Ghanaian people.

During his vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, January 27, Armah-Kofi Buah criticised existing practices that allow public lands to be undervalued and sold at significantly lower rates, describing this as detrimental to national development.

Armah-Kofi Buah outlined the guidelines currently in use by the Lands Commission, explaining that public lands are often sold at just 25 percent of their market value, with the remainder paid through ground rent.

This practice, Armah-Kofi Buah argued, effectively undervalues state-owned assets and deprives the nation of much-needed revenue.

He said,“As we speak, the guidelines for the sale of public lands according to the Lands Commission is that it is valued at 25 percent and the 25 percent of the value is what is sold and the rest is paid through grand rent.”

“That will not happen anymore, and first of all, it should not be sold and if there is a need to sell, it should be done at the current market value so that Ghanaians are not shortchanged,” he revealed.

The sale of public lands to Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) has been a contentious issue in Ghana, with concerns raised about transparency, fairness, and accountability.

Over the years, there have been reports of influential individuals, including politicians, government officials, and their associates, acquiring prime public lands at heavily discounted prices.

Critics argue that these transactions often lack transparency, with limited public oversight or competitive bidding processes.

In some cases, prime lands located in urban centres have been sold to PEPs at prices far below their market value, depriving the state of significant revenue and raising questions about favouritism and abuse of office.

Source: Citinewsroom.com

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Ex-GIIF CEO and Prof. Ameyaw-Ekumfi charged over $2m Sky Train fiasco

The Attorney General’s Office has formally charged former Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) CEO Solomon Asamoah and ex-board chairman Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Ekumfi for their roles in the controversial Accra Sky Train project, which allegedly cost the state $2 million without authorisation.

The charges, filed today at the High Court (Criminal Division), include wilfully causing financial loss to the state under the Criminal Offences Act, conspiracy to commit crime through intentional dissipation of public funds, and intentional dissipation of public funds under the Public Property Protection Decree.

Prosecutors allege that in February 2019, the accused authorised a $2 million payment from GIIF to Africa Investor Holdings Limited for preliminary work on the Sky Train project – a system that was never built. The payment was reportedly made without proper board approval.

The Sky Train project, initiated in 2018 as a public-private partnership for an urban rail system in Accra, involved a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Railways Development, Africa Investor Holdings, and GIIF. However, investigations revealed the $2 million disbursement lacked proper due diligence and violated GIIF’s governance protocols.

Attorney General Dr. Dominic Ayine stated the accused acted outside their mandate, causing significant financial harm to the state. “The payment was unauthorised, and the project never materialised. This is a clear case of financial misconduct,” the filing stated.

The case will proceed in the High Court, with the AG’s office indicating some GIIF board members have agreed to testify as prosecution witnesses.

This prosecution forms part of the government’s broader crackdown on financial malfeasance, following earlier warnings of pending charges in the Sky Train and NSS ghost names scandals.

Source: Myjoyonline.com

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Interdict Sammy Gyamfi immediately to allow for investigations – NPP urges Mahama

The National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, has called on President John Mahama to immediately interdict Mr Sammy Gyamfi from his role as acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), to allow for investigations into his conduct following his public gifting of dollars to a self-lifestyle preacher.

The incident in question occurred on Saturday, May 10, 2025, when Mr Gyamfi was seen in widely circulated videos gifting bundles of US dollars to controversial evangelist Nana Agradaa while seated in his Range Rover.

Speaking at a news conference held by the party on Tuesday, May 13, Mr Boakye emphasised the need for consistency in leadership and accountability, pointing to recent controversies involving senior public officials.

“We also call on the President to immediately interdict Mr Sammy Gyamfi as acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board — or at least, he should interdict him pending the conduct of the investigation by the criminal investigation authorities of the state,” Boakye said.

Drawing a sharp comparison with a previous incident involving former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah, Boakye noted that Madam Dapaah was compelled to resign after reports emerged of large sums of money allegedly stolen from her residence, despite her long-standing public service and reputable family background.

“We cannot but remember when huge sums of money were reported to have been stolen from the residence of Madam Cecilia Dapaah, a woman who had worked in high places for over forty years before the incident — an MP since 2001, a deputy minister and a minister — married to a well-known, wealthy architect and consultant with nearly sixty years’ experience,” he remarked.

Boakye highlighted that under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Madam Dapaah stepped aside promptly, enabling thorough investigations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

“Investigations were duly conducted by the OSP against Madam Cecilia Dapaah and her husband after what the OSP described as seven months of extensive investigation and four months of collaborative inquiry,” he added.

The NPP is now demanding similar action from President Mahama in the interest of transparency, good governance, and public trust.

Source: Myjoyonline.com