The Lands Commission has issued a comprehensive statement clarifying its position on the alleged attempted sale of the official residence of the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament.
The Commission’s Acting Executive Secretary, Surv. Benjamin Arthur, in a statement, expressed a welcoming stance toward the interest shown by the Speaker and the Parliamentary Service in the management of public lands.
He clarified that its initial Press Release on November 20, 2023, was not a direct response to the comments made by the Rt. Hon. Speaker but a reaction to media reports suggesting the Commission’s involvement in the sale of the Speaker’s official residence.
According to Arthur, the land in question has been public property since 1920, and only the Lands Commission has the authority to make any grant, sale, or lease of the said property.
Arthur stated, “At no point in time had the Commission, directly or indirectly, sold or attempted to sell the official residence of the Rt. Hon. Speaker. We have, in accordance with our constitutional duty, executed a Certificate of Allocation in favour of the Parliamentary Service to regularize its interest in the property.”
The Lands Commission revealed that it first learned of the alleged attempted sale through media reports and expressed regret that neither the Speaker nor the Parliamentary Service reported the matter to the Commission before it became a public discourse.
Arthur explained that the Speaker’s official residence was designated as such in 2003. Prior to that, the Cantonments Residential Area, including the Speaker’s residence, was earmarked for redevelopment between 1995 and 2015, leading to grants to private developers and subsequent creation of further interests.
Regarding the specific allegation of the Clerk of Parliament’s accommodation being sold in 2019, the Lands Commission indicated the property in question was granted to a private developer in 2015, as part of the Accra Properties Redevelopment Scheme.
The Commission assured the Speaker, the House of Parliament, and the Parliamentary Service that it is ready to collaborate to resolve all issues involving properties of interest, particularly the alleged attempted sale of the Speaker’s official residence.