Former Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul has said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is guilty of grabbing and sharing more state lands.
The Bimbilla Member of Parliament (MP) has therefore asked the NDC to stop the hypocrisy in their crusade against the ownership of state lands.
In an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Mr. Nitiwul disclosed that most of the beneficiaries were politically exposed persons, including MPs.
He stated that he was even offered a state land but rejected it.
Detailing the origins of state land ownership, the MP said the practice started under the Rawlings administration and has continued under subsequent regimes.
He acknowledged that nobody criminalized the practice, revealing that most lands at East Airport, East Legon, and Westland, among others, originally belonged to the state.
“The idea of disposing of state lands started under Jerry Rawlings. This was not happening in Ghana, but it started in 1996 or 1998 by the NDC under Jerry Rawlings.
“Because of the manner in which the colonial administration built small structures on vast lands across Cantonments, the Rawlings government commenced what was termed ‘in-filling,’ which allowed the release of the unused plots around Cantonments, Kanda, and the Airport areas to developers,” he said.
The lawmaker explained that the practice continued during ex-President Kufuor’s era, but the NDC launched a public campaign against Kufuor.
“The Kufuor government came and continued, but if you remember, when Kufuor was leaving, the NDC made so much noise about the grabbing of state lands.
“I can tell you that if you look at the history of Ghana from Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, it is the NDC that has released and grabbed more state lands than any government,” the MP said.
Threatening to expose some landowners, Mr. Nitiwul vowed that if the NDC claims owning state land is stealing, then he can prove the identities of landowners at Borteyman off the Accra-Tema Motorway.
“Borteyman is state land, and that’s where Kufuor built the affordable housing. The land that was left was shared during Mahama’s time. They shared the land, and some of their MPs got some. MPs from both sides, particularly those who were then in government under the Mahama regime, got some of the lands. Big people, and some of them are still in Parliament.
“I know the place, and I can show you everybody’s land. I was offered two plots as Deputy Leader, but I didn’t take them,” he vowed.
Mr. Nitiwul indicated that the grabbing of state lands was not only in Accra but in other parts of the country.
“Again, if you go to Tamale, the place called Residence, all the land there is state land. The land was acquired for the residency, but today, go and find out who is there. They are all politically exposed persons. Even the house that the President sometimes sleeps in in Tamale is on state land.
“So they should stop this hypocrisy of creating a picture that a particular group is stealing state lands,” he admonished.
Listen to Mr. Nitiwul in the video above: