In a fascinating twist to the simmering feud between the central government and the Lands Commission, Today hounds have intercepted several documents bearing names of some top personalities of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Convention People’s Party (CPP) who, way before and since the beginning of this Fourth Republic, have acquired State parcels of land.

A good number of these State lands are located at Cantonments and Ridge Residential Estates in Accra. And were given out to and acquired by top politicians, public workers and other government officials in deals that, Today gathers, bear certainly moral and probably legal questions marks, since they were given out without Cabinet approval. It is thus surprising that a newspaper of such high repute, the Daily Graphic, could, in its front page story of Wednesday, May 30, 2012 list names of only NPP and CPP officials who, the paper claims, have designed various illegal schemes to acquire government bungalows and parcels of land without Cabinet approval. The story, published with the screaming headline, GRABBING OF GOVERNMENT BUNGALOWS/ LANDS, POLITICIANS, PUBLIC SERVANTS CONNIVE, copiously left out names of NDC officials, past and present, who also benefited from the same “illegal deal” the report deals with.

Meanwhile, documents in the possession of Today detail a long list of names of personalities who have acquired State lands since 1985. Below are the names of the personalities along with the file numbers that deal with the acquisitions.

Personalities of the NDC include President John Evans Atta Mills, AC4664; Betty Mould Iddrisu, Professor Kofi Awoonor, 203/87 AC4433; Peter Nanfuri, AC4227 LS297/26, Ac4960; Edward Kojo Salia, 53/99 ac4258; Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, Mustapha Gariba, Ac4914; Martin B. K. Amidu, Dr. Charles Jebuni, Ac783243/200; Fred W. A. Attoh, Ac 4264 198/86; 31st December Women’s Movement Ac8124; Prof. Yaw Twumasi, Ac4677; Dr. Kobla Gbedemah, Ac4277 l S84/96; Christian Yao Zigah, Ac4285 234/88; Ferdinand Ohene Kena, Ac42973/91, and; Oheneba Kow Richardson, Ac4284164/93.

Other NDC top officials that acquired State lands include Dr. Kofi Ahmed, File No. Ac436236/87; Mark Woyongo, Ac4961; Dr. J. L. S. Abbey, Ac4295103/98; Mrs. Maureen Adadevoh, Ac4292149/88; Mr. J. H. Owusu-Acheampong, Ac43177/89; Baba Camara, Brigadier Benedict Kodjo Akafia, Ac4981; Ahenkora Marfo, Ac4318179/89; Dr. Kwaku Temeng, Ac433641/95; Seth Gustav Okraku, Ac4984; Nana Fosu Randall, ac4984: Carl Henry Clark, Ac4977; Kwasi Tagbor, and; Roland Setsaafa Agbenotor, Ac4894.

The rest are Alfred Kwao Ayivor, Stanley Q. Barnor, James T. Addico, Ac433439/90; George Nikoi Kotey, Ac4343270/90; Dr. Assibi A. Amidu, Aac435599/94; Ridway Brimah, Ac4363120/94; Vincent Assiseh, 65/97 Ac4383; Patrick Nutor, 191/88 ac4426, Niki Bentsi Enchill, Col. Alhaji Ayumah, Wesi Andam, Ac7869; Justice N. S. Gbadegbe, Ac7834, as well as Daniel Kobla Nutsugah, Ac5023.

The top NPP officials who also acquired State lands in Accra are Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, Ebenezer B. Sakyi Hughes; Justice A. K. P Kludze; Ursula Owusu; Dr. Joe Gyekey, 102/85 Ac4434; Prof. Frimpong Boateng, cost of land GH¢250,000, payment made GH¢165,000; Ivor Agyeman-Duah, cost of land GH¢172, 960, payment made GH¢172,960; Kofi Opoku Adusei, cost of land GH¢75,000, payment made GH¢75,600; Dr. Henry Prempeh, cost of land GH¢190,00, payment made GH¢190,000; E. K. Oduro, cost of land GH¢75,600, no payment made; Nana Yaa Abena Asante Faibille; Kwame Osei Prempeh, and; Stanley Nii Adjiri-Blankson. The rest are Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobbey, Yaw Osafo Maafo, Ms. Shirley Ayorkor Botchway; Dr. Osei Akoto; Mr. J. H. Mensah; Dr. Joe. Blankson; Justice S. A. B Akuffo, and; Prof. A. B. Akosah, a leading member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP).

According to NDC insiders, the top officials who benefitted from these State facilities include the current Vice President, Mr. John Mahama, who acquired his under the same policy Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey benefitted from.

It will be recalled that in the year 1996/7, the Sakumono SSNIT Flats, which had been officially designated as the residence of Members of Parliament of the Republic of Ghana were sold out to the MPs whose terms had just ended. This was done without prior arrangement for incoming MPs, who, for a time, were stranded, in terms of having no official residence to live in.

Our sources also disclosed that the wife of the current Minister for Manpower and Employment, Hon. E. T. Mensah, acquired several State Fishing Corporation (SFC) cold stores in Tema. At that time her husband was serving on the body set up by national administration to handle the sale of certain SFC assets. The sources asked: “Who acquired the catering rest houses around the country when the PNDC sold them?”

One of the sources pointed out categorically that: “The NDC cannot win this moral debate… It only makes the NDC look and sound nauseatingly hypocritical.”

They cited the recent judgement pronounced by the Supreme Court on the sale of a state bungalow to Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, which judgement has become the subject of controversy between national administration and the NPP stalwart.

The source said: “A competent court has spoken… [but] if it is wrong for former minister, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, to acquire state property… offered for sale by the Lands Commission, then it is [equally] wrong for all public officials, including President Mills and Vice President John Mahama, to have acquired state lands by virtue of their position as public workers.”

According to sources close to the Lands Commission, in the year 2001, none of the aforementioned government top officials who acquired state lands paid anything near the commercial value of the property. They only paid “re-development fees” and “processing fees,” the sources disclosed.

One of them said: “If Jake should relinquish his property, because it was immoral, then all those pontificating, including our dear President, should also relinquish the [state] properties… they acquired long before Jake…, and stop making excuses for holding on to theirs. That is not only immoral; it is dishonest and hypocritical.”

Our sources further cautioned the president, to – as matter of urgency – cease the habit of vilifying the Supreme Court and respect the rule of law. “No one is above the law!” The source stressed.**