Official residence for former Clerk of Parliament was sold to private developers in 2019 - Parliamentary Service replies Land Commission

The Parliamentary Service has commented on a statement issued by the Lands Commission of Ghana, regarding reports of the sale of the official residence of the Speaker of Parliament, Alan Bagbin.

In a statement issued by the Director of its Media Relations Department, on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, the service indicated that even though the Speaker of Parliament’s residence was not sold, the Land Commission has failed to address the issues raised by Alan Bagbin.

It said that the Speaker raised the issue of properties belonging to parliament being sold to private development including the official residence of the Clerk of Parliament which was sold in 2019.

"The Rt. Hon. Speaker did not say that the Speaker's official residence had been sold. What he said was that it was almost sold. The reactions by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Works and Housing and the Lands Commission so far have not tackled the subject matter of the alleged sale.

“A visit to the official residence of Rt. Hon. Speaker will unveil that almost all the surrounding buildings and accompanying parcels of land have been sold out to private developers. High-rise apartments have been constructed all around, leaving the Speaker's residence as an island and endangering the safety and security of the Rt. Hon. Speaker," parts of the statement read

It added, “A trip down memory lane reveals that sometime in 2019, the official accommodation of a sitting Clerk to Parliament located in Cantonments, was sold to a private developer. Other properties assigned to parliament have suffered similar fate”.

The service commended the decision by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources to investigate the attempt to sell the Speaker's residences in order to establish who attempted to sell, and who the potential buyer was.

It however called for transparency in the investigation by the ministry.

Read the full statement by the service below:



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