Ningo Land dispute: Obed distances himself

Former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice under the erstwhile Rawlings regime, Dr. Obed Yao Asamoah, has distanced himself from the raging land dispute in which a family in Ningo in the Greater Accra region is alleging has been unlawfully ceded to a private firm, Volta (Ghana)Investment Company Limited without their express approval.

The said land, measuring about 15000 acres and situated near the Shai Hills, was reportedly acquired through divestiture and by an Executive Instrument in 1998 barely two years before the Rawlings' regime exited from office.

Sources close to the Tei Narteh Boso Buahene family told Today that the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC) which was mandated to divest state enterprises, fraudulently gave out its land through a divestiture to the said company, allegedly owned by Dr. Obed Asamoah.

But the veteran politician and lawyer has flatly denied having anything to do with neither the said company nor the alleged acquisition at Ningo.

In a telephone interview with Today yesterday, Dr. Obed Asamoah who was also a one-time National Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), explained that as a public officer and a Minister during the Rawlings’ government, he could not have been part of any company let alone Volta Investment Company.

“The company would not have been registered in my name in 1998 as I was a minister, so a company could not have been registered in my name,” he stressed.

Consequently, Dr. Asamoah in the interview suggested that all such enquiries should be directed to the DIC adding that his then deputy, Mr. Martín Amidu, was a member of that committee.

He explained further that if his name had been associated then it could be because he was the Attorney-General in 1998, but indicated that he has nothing to do with any acquisition in the Shai Hills area and never participated in the divestiture of any asset.

Earlier, when Today contacted Mr. Amidu in an interview via telephone for his take on the matter, he confirmed serving on the DIC as a representative of the Attorney-General but indicated he left the committee for personal reasons.

He said he also did not recall any company by name Volta Investment Company.

Mr. Amidu explained that even if he was a member of the DIC he did not have any power to divest any property, saying only the President of Ghana can approve a divestiture.