Stop politicising sale of state lands; focus on protecting them - Farouk Aliu Mahama

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Yendi, Farouk Aliu Mahama, has called for constructive measures to protect state lands rather than blaming the current government for issues related to land mismanagement.

His remarks were made during an appearance of the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, at the Government Assurances Committee on Wednesday, July 31, 2024.

Mahama emphasised the importance of focusing on practical solutions to safeguard state lands from encroachment and illegal activities.

He argued that pointing fingers at the current administration does little to address the underlying issues and instead diverts attention from the necessary actions that need to be taken to protect public assets.

He proposed the implementation of robust measures and policies that would ensure the efficient management and protection of state lands.

These measures include stricter enforcement of land use regulations, regular monitoring of state properties, and increased transparency in land transactions.

Aliu Mahama also said he believes that such steps are crucial for maintaining the integrity of state lands and preventing future mismanagement.

"First of all, it is good for us to have the Lands Minister to clarify for us certain issues but let’s be frank, successive governments have had certain gaps in the management of state lands and we should rather focus on how we improve on those gaps and how we solve them rather than pointing figures at the current government over the sale of state lands.

"All governments have sold state lands and our focus should be about protecting them and not make it a partisan issue,” he said, a report by myjoyonline.com has said.

The MP also highlighted the need for collaboration among various stakeholders, including government agencies, local authorities, and the private sector.

He stressed that a collective effort is required to develop and implement effective strategies for land protection.

Concluding, Farouk Aliu Mahama urged all parties involved to prioritise the protection of state lands through proactive measures rather than engaging in blame games.

AE