Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has applauded President John Mahama for reversing the sale of state lands that were disposed of under the previous administration. He emphasized the need for a more transparent system to prevent the political exploitation of public assets.
While praising President Mahama for stopping questionable land allocations, Mr. Bentil urged him to take additional steps by implementing strict rules to prevent future discretionary allocation of state properties.
“I commend President Mahama. He has stopped one thing, but he can do more. In four years, he can establish rules under Article 296 to ensure that no Chief of Staff or government official can allocate state property to any private person except through a lawful process,” he said in an interview on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, March 8.
Mr. Bentil highlighted the importance of public officials adopting a stewardship mindset rather than viewing governance as a chance for personal gain.
“People must enter government as stewards, not as if they have won a war and are looking to loot,” he remarked.
He argued that state assets, including lands, vehicles, and buildings, should only be disposed of through due process to ensure fairness and accountability. He pointed out how successive governments have exploited legal loopholes to allocate state resources to political allies and cronies.
He also emphasized Article 296, which mandates those with discretionary power to create clear and published guidelines for decision-making, ensuring transparency in public resource allocation.
“When it comes to state vehicles, the Chief of Staff will write a letter granting what is essentially a waiver for a car to be sold to someone. That is not lawful. The Chief of Staff does not have that authority. The same principle applies to state lands,” he stated.
Referencing Article 257 of the Constitution, which vests state lands in the President, and the Public Procurement Act 663, which outlines lawful asset disposal, Mr. Bentil argued that state properties must be auctioned to the highest bidder to maximize the nation’s benefit.
