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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
National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Executive Committee member and Volta River Authority (VRA) Board Member, Wonder Victor Kutor, has described calls for the resignation of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa as premature and unjustified.
He argued that there was no evidence to establish that the minister had committed any wrongdoing to warrant such demands.
Speaking on Joy News in Accra on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Mr Kutor questioned what had changed to justify the growing calls for the minister to step down.
He recalled that the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, had earlier indicated that the opposition was not accusing Mr Ablakwa of any wrongdoing.
Mr Kutor, therefore, challenged those demanding the minister’s resignation to provide fresh evidence to support their position.
“The call for the Minister to resign is premature, it is untenable. There is no evidence. I mean, what has he done wrong?” he questioned.
He added that documents, including boarding passes, airline receipts and flight manifests relating to the minister’s return journey, had been provided.
Mr Kutor expressed concern that the calls for Mr Ablakwa’s resignation could discourage young politicians from speaking out against corruption and advocating transparency.
According to him, politicians should not be targeted or maligned for demanding accountability, warning that such treatment could create the impression that speaking against corruption could later become a liability when one is appointed to public office.
He maintained that calling for accountability and transparency should not be used as grounds to target public officials without evidence of wrongdoing.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana will host the Africa Festival of Arts, Culture and Creatives (AFESTAC) 2026 alongside Industrial Skills Week Africa (ISWA) 2026 in Accra from December 9 to 12, 2026.
On the back of these programmes, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called on corporate Ghana, the media and the general public to support the initiative through partnerships, sponsorships and active participation.
The events, supported by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), will bring together stakeholders to celebrate Africa’s rich cultural heritage, strengthen the creative economy, promote industrial skills development and create employment opportunities for young people.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
