The Lands Commission has refuted the alleged speaker’s bungalow being sold to private developers.
In a statement released by the Lands Commission, it stated that:
The Lands Commission has become aware of reports in a section of the media suggesting that the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament’s official residence at Cantonments has been sold to a private developer. The Commission wishes to state emphatically, that at no point in time was the said property sold to a private developer by the Lands Commission. Records available to the Commission indicate that:
1. The land in question was acquired in 1920 by a Certificate of Title, dated 7th June 1920 for Government services.
2. Since 2003, the land has always been used as the official residence of the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament.
3. By an application dated 15th November 2022, numbered PS/LS/002/12/22, the Parliamentary Service applied for a Certificate of Allocation to regularise their occupation of the land, which measures approximately 1.66 acres.
4. At its sixty-fourth (64th) Regular Meeting held on 22nd December 2022, the Regional Lands Commission approved the application, after all statutory processes, including planning approval from the La Dadekotopon Municipal Assembly, had been duly concluded.
5. On 14th February 2023, the Lands Commission offered allocation to Parliamentary Service.
6. Parliamentary Service accepted the offer, and after paying the requisite fees, a Certificate of Allocation, dated 28th April 2023 was issued to Parliamentary Service.
The Lands Commission is, therefore, unaware of any purported sale of the Rt—Hon. Speaker of Parliament’s official residence to a private developer. The Commission wishes to reiterate its commitment to the prudent and efficient management of public lands in the national interest and promote effective land administration anchored on the highest standards of integrity, transparency and candour.
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See the press release below:
