Lands Minister Jinapor Must be in a Great Fight

Ghana’s Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, may have found himself in a very good fight that worth fighting, though; and The Anchor wishes him well in the tenacious ‘tango’.

Jinapor’s ministry has assured Ghanaians who were terrified at a released list of 75 items of houses, vehicles, guns and acreages of land including chunk of the good old Achimota forest and Ramsar site at Sakumono near Tema, willed to sons, daughters, nephews, nieces, sisters, long-and-short-armed relatives by and for the late Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie, who has since died and was buried in enviable duplex of a sepulcher (kind-yet-to-find elsewhere) at Sakora Wonoo in Ashanti Region, Tuesday, that government is going to ‘deal’ with all past and present wrong acquisition of lands, accordingly.

“Government will act on any improper acquisition of any public lands regardless of how it was procured, whether now or in the past, and the Achimota Forest lands will not be an exception,” the Ministry said while indicating that the alleged Will of the late former Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (Sir John) is a subject matter for litigation in court.

The ministry didn’t however tell whether the court litigants included the state of Republic of Ghana or just heirs fighting for ‘more’ or ‘enough’, in court.

In fact, the documents listing the individual relatives of Mr. Owusu Afriyie’s to be allocated portions of the controversy-plagued Achimota Forest, which has become a topical issue the past days as a result of an Executive Instrument signed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to declassify portions, got many a Ghanaian stomachs roaring like a precursory thunder leading the wrath of the angry gods.

But Samuel Jinapor seems endowed with ‘hard balls’. He directed the Lands and Forestry Commissions to take appropriate actions over claims that the late former CEO of the Forestry Commission owns portions of lands at the Achimota Forest and Sakumono Ramsar Site and consider any alleged ownership of lands at the said sites by the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie aka Sir John, as void.

The Anchor deems the steps being taken by the Lands minister as appropriate and urges him on to press home his action to help regain semblance of confidence in Ghana’s democracy.

Ghanaians are not impugning any criminal act on the part of Wofa Sir John, may his soul have peace. But the raising eyebrows, seems to be about the rapidity of how almost all these huge inheritances were acquired within two-year’s span and, of course, conflict of interest situation.

The firebrand Ghanaian politician was laid to rest on Thursday, June 3, 2021 at his humble town of Sakora Wonoo family cemetery, in the Kwabre East District of the Ashanti region after his demise at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Wednesday, July 1, 2020 after testing positive for Covid-19. But it seems the length of the ‘dying frog’ being seen now is horrifying; indeed, longer than necessary.

This is the reason why this paper will urge the Lands minister on, to cause in-depth inquisition into the too-sweet allegations being level against Kwadwo, albeit posthumously,  of his (mis)appropriation of so much wealth within a relatively short time of assuming office. It is to save the sanctity of the country’s democracy; especially so, when tongues are wagging to the effect that politicians only crave for enriching themselves and family-relatives when entrusted with public office.

The Anchor knows the Lands minister’s picking up of this great a fight would not be easy, but will need the full backing of President Nana Akufo-Addo to succeed in a resolve, when balanced well, will encourage public trust and enthusiasm in national politics and, to extent, trust in democracy.

It is the paper’s prayer, however, that the intended probe sees the light of day. It looks like a political minefield of kind, but the lands minister must be in a great fight of restoration of trust in Ghana’s democratic value and, need our support.

Source: The Anchor