The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has accused the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, of not being truthful with Ghanaians regarding the Bulgarian Embassy property that was demolished in 2022.
According to the MP, the Lands Commission’s Land Valuation Department has determined that the Bulgarian government should pay GH¢5.3 million in compensation for the demolition, but this amount may increase due to the devaluation of the Ghanaian cedi.
However, Mr Ablakwa said the compensation was not paid because the person behind the demolition, identified as Albert Jojo Hagan, is nowhere to be found.
He noted that if the “demolition contractor” is not found, the Bulgarian government will force the Ghanaian government to pay the GH¢5.3 million compensation.
“According to documents intercepted and duly attached, it appears that the Land Valuation Department of the Land Commission has decided that compensation should be paid to the Bulgarian Government in the amount of a whopping GH¢5,383,000.00.
“Insiders tell me that this GH¢5.3 million figure, which was arrived at last year, is likely to escalate significantly due to Ghana’s epileptic depreciating currency. The Ghanaian Government is still claiming that the mastermind of the demolition is on the run and cannot be found,” he wrote in a post shared on X on Wednesday, July 17, 2024.
He added, “in the circumstances, and considering that the patience of the Bulgarians has run thin, deep throat sources inform me that the Government of Ghana will soon be compelled to pay the Bulgarians from our taxes since they claim they don’t know the whereabouts of the demolition man who was clearly indicted by the Sole Inquirer.”
The North Tongu legislator also pointed out that Dr. Yaw Adu Ampomah, an appointee of President Akufo-Addo, who is said to have bought the land from Jojo Hagan, also said he cannot find him (Jojo).
“Strangely, the appointee of President Akufo-Addo at NDPC, Dr. Yaw Adu Ampomah, who purportedly bought the land from the demolition man identified as Albert Jojo Hagan, also claims he cannot locate Jojo. Republic of wonders!
“State Capture does not only lead to international embarrassment and potential conflict with other countries, it also causes massive financial loss — imagine how many national challenges we can solve with GH¢5.3 million.”
About the Bulgarian Embassy Land Saga
A building belonging to the Bulgarian Embassy in Accra was razed down in 2022 by a private developer, alleged to be an appointee of President Akufo-Addo, who started developing a project on the land.
Following public backlash and fears of diplomatic conflict, the government stepped in and halted development of the project.
Justice Kwasi Anto Ofori-Atta, a former Supreme Court judge and former chairman of the Ashanti Regional Land Commission, was appointed as the sole investigator to investigate the situation surrounding the true ownership of the land disputed between the Bulgarian Embassy and the private developer.
The investigation noted that Jojo Hagan is the private developer and recommended that he be punished for failing to follow due process in evicting the alleged encroachers and demolishing the buildings, and that he pay compensation to the Bulgarian Embassy.
See Ablakwa’s post below:
RESPONSE TO MINISTER FOR LANDS AND NATURAL RESOURCES’ STATE CAPTURE DENIAL
My attention has been drawn to a statement from the Minister responsible for Lands and Natural Resources in what appears to be a desperate effort at refuting the overwhelming and incontrovertible… pic.twitter.com/sRdXXtWwWH
— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) July 17, 2024
