Parliament must summon Lands Minister over alleged sale of state lands – Murtala

The Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed wants the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jianpor, to be summoned by the House over allegations of the wanton sale of state lands in his area and other parts of the country.

The MP claims that lands belonging to the Tamale West hospital have been sold with development ongoing.

He adds that bungalows and other accommodation facilities belonging to the prison service in his jurisdiction have been sold.

Raising these concerns on the floor of Parliament, he said, “I want to add my voice that the minister for lands appears before this house to provide some answers to some specific and pertinent questions. In Tamale Central, state lands are being shared like ‘koose’ or roasted groundnut.

“Mr Speaker, to the extent that the population of Tamale is skyrocketing day by day…The land that belongs to the Tamale West Hospital has been sold and people are developing with speed. You go there in the night they are putting up [buildings]. The local government road heading towards estates, bungalows and properties belonging to the state have been sold.

“The prison officers called me and complained that they were selling the land, they asked them to vacate the accommodation and that they were sold…As I talk to you, the entire roof of the buildings on that stretch has been ripped off.

“It means that the prison officers who don’t have accommodation where the prison is located would have to look for accommodation elsewhere. That is a serious matter.”