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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
News
COP Yohuno takes over from Dr.Dampare as new IGP
President John Dramani Mahama has in accordance with Articles 91 and 202 of the 1992 constitution and in consultation with the Council of State, appointed Commissioner of Police (COP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno as the Inspector-General of Police.
He replaces COP Dr. George Akuffo Dampare.
COP Yohuno brings forty years of experience to the position of IGP and is expected to oversee the modernization and transformation of the Ghana Police Service.
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Minister for the Interior Urges European Union to Improve on Collaboration and Support
The Minister for the Interior, Hon. Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, commended the European Union (EU) for its continuous support and initiatives in Ghana and urged the Union to enhance collaboration and support with the Ministry and its agencies.
Ghana takes security issues seriously and will do everything possible to protect the peace and maintain security in the country, the Minister assured.
Other areas of collaboration discussed during the meeting aimed to improve the Ghana Prisons Service, particularly decongestion and equipment improvement.
Hon. Muntaka made these remarks while receiving a delegation from the EU, led by its Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Irchad Razaaly.
The delegation assessed the EU’s Defence and Security initiative in Ghana, as well as supporting the country’s security and defence capabilities.
The initiative is part of the EU’s integrated approach to tackling instability and insecurity challenges in the region.
The EU Security and Defence Initiative (EU SDI) in the Gulf of Guinea region is geared towards strengthening the security and defence capabilities of Ghana and effectively respond to security threats.
