A list of government appointees and politically exposed persons grabbing state lands under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s administration at ridiculous prices, has been released.

The list, includes former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, who now serves as the Senior Presidential Advisor and Special Envoy for International Finance and Private Sector Investments, and former Chief Justice and Member of the Council of State, Georgina Theodora Wood, who is now 77-years, both of whom are said to have purchased state lands at the prestigious AU Village/La Wireless enclave in Accra.

Observers were quoted as having expressed outrage at how some political appointees, including Ministers of State were asked to pay as low as GHS183, 752.00 for a plot compared to a conservative market value of US$500,000.00 to US$600,000.00 per plot.

This is the second time, Georgina Wood’s name has come up in a state land grab. The first was during John Agyekum Kufuor’s administration, where the International Students’ Hostel currently housing Ghana’s Foreign Ministry, was shared among government appointees to build residential properties.  The late President John Evans Atta Mills, took it away from them and their money returned.    

The Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, made these revelations on Friday, August 23, 2024, through his social media platform, as part of his ongoing parliamentary oversight on state capture.

In a post on his X account, Ablakwa presented documents he claims provide evidence of the sale of public lands by President Akufo-Addo to his relatives, appointees, and other affiliates of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Other individuals named, include Akwasi Aboagye Atuah, Board Chair of SIC; Dr Janet Ampadu Fofie, Chairperson of the Presidential Emoluments Committee; and Kwabena Mantey Jectey Nyarko, a board member of the Ghana Airport Company Limited, who is reported to have purchased the  land on December 20, 2022.

“As promised, here is Part 2 of the sale of public lands at the prime AU Village/La Wireless lands by President Akufo-Addo:

“1. Ken Ofori-Atta’s Enterprise Life Assurance (Serving Finance Minister at the time of transaction) Purchased from his cousin, President Akufo-Addo on 15th December 2023.

“2. Georgina Theodora Wood (Former Chief Justice) Purchased from President Akufo-Addo on 15th October 2020;

“3. Akwasi Aboagye Atuah (Akufo-Addo’s appointed Board Chair of SIC at the time of transaction) Purchased from President Akufo-Addo on 14th October 2020.

“4. Dr. Janet Ampadu Fofie (Chairperson, Presidential Emoluments Committee) — 2nd purchase on 14th October 2020 & 3rd purchases on 30th October 2023 from President Akufo-Addo.

“5. Kwabena Mantey Jectey Nyarko (President Akufo-Addo’s appointee to the board of the Ghana Airport Company Limited) — 2nd purchase on 20th December 2022 from President Akufo-Addo,” part of his post read.

Below is what the North Tongue MP wrote..

STATE CAPTURE — THE AU VILLAGE/LA WIRELESS NPP RAID (PART 2) As promised, here is Part 2 of the sale of public lands at the prime AU Village/La Wireless lands by President Akufo-Addo:

1.      Ken Ofori-Atta’s Enterprise Life Assurance (Serving Finance Minister at the time of transaction) — Purchased from his cousin, President Akufo-Addo on 15th December, 2023;

2. Georgina Theodora Wood (Former Chief Justice) — Purchased from President Akufo-Addo on 15th October, 2020;

3. Akwasi Aboagye Atuah (Akufo-Addo’s appointed Board Chair of SIC at the time of transaction) — Purchased from President Akufo-Addo on 14th October, 2020;

4. Dr. Janet Ampadu Fofie (Chairperson, Presidential Emoluments Committee) — 2nd purchase on 14th October, 2020 & 3rd purchase on 30th October, 2023 from President Akufo-Addo;

 5. Kwabena Mantey Jectey Nyarko (President Akufo-Addo’s appointee to the board of the Ghana Airport Company Limited) — 2nd purchase on 20th December, 2022 from President Akufo-Addo.

So what exactly did the Lands Minister mean when he stated emphatically that they were not selling public lands and that our public lands are safe, intact and secure?

It is instructive to note that from the intercepted documents, President Akufo-Addo, has sold these public lands to the new owners for an incredibly lengthy term between 90 to 99 years.

Further checks confirm that the sale of these public lands were not advertised, they were sold under extremely opaque and crony circumstances; and by all accounts, the transaction fell terribly short of transparent standards.

Indeed, when the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government signed a 6th September 2019 MoU with the La Traditional Council to return the undeveloped portions of La Wireless of approximately 61.714 acres of the government’s 1947 acquisition back to the La Traditional Council, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government failed to disclose to Ghanaians that they had quietly retained about 12.5 acres which they intended to use for condemnable sweetheart deals. Diligent parliamentary oversight has also revealed that the lands were sold far below market value.

We analyzed how much politically exposed persons paid by comparing those rates with the prevailing market value, and also how much these same lands were resold for in instances where there had been immediate resales and discovered extremely wide disparities.

Analysts have expressed outrage at how some political appointees including Ministers of State were asked to pay as low as GHS183,752.00 for a plot compared to a conservative market value of US$500,000.00 to US$600,000.00 per plot.

From the evidence, Ghanaians are not only losing their public lands to State Capture on an alarming scale, we are also not getting value for money under these unconscionable and dubious sales.

The naked looting of state lands cannot be allowed to continue. Many Ghanaians are demanding bold and comprehensive actions to stop State Capture and retrieve all looted assets.

With the NPP’s manifesto failing to address the rot — obviously, because of complicity at the very top, all hope is on the NDC to save the situation and reset Ghana when our manifesto is launched tomorrow. Former President Mahama and the NDC represent Ghana’s only hope, and I am convinced we shall not disappoint the good citizens of this nation who do not deserve this grand plunder.

Ghana desperately needs radical governance reforms to uproot the menace of State Capture. One thing is certain: State Capture shall surely be defeated! I shall be back with more. For God and Country. Ghana First.

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