The Parliamentary Service has stated that there was an attempt to sell the Speaker of Parliament’s official residence at Cantonments in Accra and has therefore welcomed the decision by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to investigate and establish who made that attempt.
In a press release supporting what the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin said last Monday, the Parliamentary Service explained: “The potential buyer proceeded to the Lands Commission for the necessary due diligence and realized the status of the property. That was when Mr. Speaker got to know about it,” it said.
It said “the reactions by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Works and Housing and the Lands Commission so far have not tackled the subject matter of the alleged sale.”
The Parliamentary Service’s press release dated November 22, 2023, was signed and issued by Director of Media Relations, David Sebastian Damoah.
“A visit to the official residence of Rt. Hon. Speaker will unveil that almost all the surrounding buildings and accompanying parcels of land have been sold out to private developers. High-rise apartments have been constructed all around, leaving the Speaker’s residence as an island and endangering the safety and security of the Rt. Hon. Speaker,” it added.
“A trip down memory lane reveals that sometime in 2019, the official accommodation of a sitting Clerk to Parliament located in Cantonments, was sold to a private developer. Other properties assigned to parliament have suffered similar fate.”
“We are encouraged by the decision of the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources to investigate this matter and hope the investigations will establish who attempted to sell, and who the potential buyer was.”
The Parliamentary Service added that transparency in this matter was of utmost importance for the sake of public confidence in state institutions.”
The Lands Commission has reacted to the Speaker of Parliament’s allegation that his official residence at Cantonments in Accra was “almost sold to the private sector.”
The Speaker, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin had alleged, “many of you don’t know that even the residence of the Speaker was almost sold to private sector. Actually it was given out, it is when they went to register that Land’s Commission identified that, that is the residence of the Speaker. Luckily I was inside so it was safe,” he said.
“The Commission wishes to state emphatically, that at no point in time was the said property sold to a private developer by the Lands Commission,” the acting Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, Benjamin Arthur stated in a press statement dated November 20, 2023, signed and issued on Monday evening in reaction to the Speaker’s allegation.
Speaker’s residence was almost sold to private sector – Bagbin
The Speaker, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin had made the allegation during the “Speaker’s breakfast forum,” reports Graphic Online’s Parliamentary correspondent, Daniel Kenu.
But in a reaction, the Lands Commission said contrary to what the Speaker had stated, “the Lands Commission is, therefore, unaware of any purported sale of the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament’s official residence to a private developer. The Commission wishes to reiterate its commitment to the prudent and efficient management of public lands in the national interest, and promote effective land administration that is anchored on the highest standards of integrity, transparency and candour.”
Attached below is a full copy of the Lands Commission’s statement
RE: SPEAKER’S RESIDENCE SOLD TO PRIVATE DEVELOPER
The Lands Commission has become aware of reports in a section of the media suggesting that the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament’s official residence at Cantonments has been sold to a private developer.
The Commission wishes to state emphatically, that at no point in time was the said property sold to a private developer by the Lands Commission.
Records available to the Commission indicates that:
1. The land in question was acquired in 1920 by a Certificate of Title, dated 7th June, 1920 for Government services.
2. Since 2003, the land has always been used as the official residence of the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament.
3. By an application dated 15th November, 2022, and numbered PS/LS/002/12/22, Parliamentary Service applied for a Certificate of Allocation to regularise their occupation of the land, which measures approximately 1.66 acres.
4. At its sixty-fourth (64th) Regular Meeting held on 22nd December, 2022, the Regional Lands Commission approved the application, after all statutory processes, including planning approval from the La Dadekotopon Municipal Assembly, had been duly concluded.
5. On 14th February, 2023, the Lands Commission made an offer of allocation to Parliamentary Service.
6. Parliamentary Service accepted the offer, and after paying the requisite fees, a Certificate of Allocation, dated 28th April, 2023 was issued to Parliamentary Service.
The Lands Commission is, therefore, unaware of any purported sale of the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament’s official residence to a private developer. The Commission wishes to reiterate its commitment to the prudent and efficient management of public lands in the national interest, and promote effective land administration that is anchored on the highest standards of integrity, transparency and candour.
Bagbin’s allegation
Meanwhile, Graphic Online’s Parliamentary correspondent, Daniel Kenu reports that the forum, where the Speaker made the allegation was to help consolidate the relationship between Parliament and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and explore new ways of working together for accountable governance.
It also formed part of Parliament’s celebration of 30 years of uninterrupted Parliamentary democracy.
“It was themed: “Thirty years of Parliamentary democracy under the fourth republic: Reflections on citizens’ engagement and the way forward.”
Attached below is a statement of the press release
PRESS RELEASE
MR. SPEAKER’S OFFICIAL RESIDENCE AND RELATED ISSUES
We, refer to the media stories on, and reactions to the statement by the Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament, regarding the official residence of the Speaker of Parliament.
It must be noted that, Mr. Speaker stated the attempt at selling his official residence, which he made reference to during the Speaker’s Breakfast Forum in Accra, on Monday 20* November, 2023. The potential buyer proceeded to the Lands Commission for the necessary due diligence and realized the status of the property. That was when Mr. Speaker got to know about it.
We also wish to state as follows:
- The Rt. Hon. Speaker did not say that the Speaker’s official residence had been sold. What he said was that it was almost sold.
- The reactions by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Works and Housing and the Lands Commission so far have not tackled the subject matter of the alleged sale.
- A visit to the official residence of Rt. Hon. Speaker will unveil that almost all the surrounding buildings and accompanying parcels of land have been sold out to private developers. High-rise apartments have been constructed all around, leaving the Speaker’s residence as an island and endangering the safety and security of the Rt. Hon. Speaker.
- A trip down memory lane reveals that sometime in 2019, the official accommodation of a sitting Clerk to Parliament located in Cantonments, was sold to a private developer. Other properties assigned to parliament have suffered similar fate.
- We are encouraged by the decision of the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources to investigate this matter and hope the investigations will establish who attempted to sell, and who the potential buyer was.
- Transparency in this matter is of utmost importance for the sake of public confidence in state institutions.
-END-
SIGNED
DAVID SEBASTIAN DAMOAH
DIRECTOR, MEDIA RELATIONS
Source: graphic.com.gh