The Interior Minister, Henry Quartey has refuted claims that a staff at the office of the Vice Presidency used national security operatives to demolish a fence wall around lands belonging to Ghana Prisons Service.
On June 24, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Okudzeto Ablakwa took to his social media page X, formerly twitter and alleged that Prof Kwaku Appiah Adu had taken over lands belonging to Ghana Prisons Service.
Following stiff opposition from the prisons service, Prof Adu took the matter to court claiming to be the legitimate owner of the piece of land.
Following stiff opposition from the prisons service, Prof Adu took the matter to court, claiming to be the legitimate owner of the piece of land.
However, speaking on the floor of Parliament on July 5, the Interior Minister refuted the claims, arguing that his outfit had yet to receive official notice of the demolition.
Mr Quartey argued that the said professor was a man of great repute.
“The gentleman in question is a distinguished gentleman, and for the records, when this matter started, he was not working for the Vice President. Mr Speaker, the fact that somebody is working for a politician does not restrict him or her from pursuing his own private business.”
“There isn’t anything to substantiate that national security operatives, for that matter, have been assigned or rather approached by the same gentleman to demolish, and thirdly, it has not come to my attention,“ Mr Quartey added.
The Interior Minister explained that due to the severe living conditions at the Ghana Prison Service barracks, where junior officers and their families endure cramped spaces, often sharing single rooms and sleeping in confined areas, the ministry has decided to redevelop the area after reviewing various proposals from developers.
“The service has for the last 20 years received proposals from developers for the development of the headquarters and the barracks in order to address accommodation challenges for the officers but has been unsuccessful,” he said.
He added that in 2021, the Ghana Prisons Service received a proposal from a developer for the development of the cantonment barracks.
“The proposal met the expectation of the service, with each accommodation ranging from 1 bedroom to 3 bedrooms being provided for 440 officers as opposed to the current 330 within the barracks. The project will also see the construction of a new headquarters building, and all other existing structures will be redeveloped into modern facilities.”
He explained that the proposal has been received and endorsed by the prison officers and prison council service.
However, the North Tongu MP, Okudzetu Ablakwa, questioned “I don’t believe that this is some Father Christmas who has descended upon the prison service to do them a favour. What is he getting in return? Is he getting portions of the land? If he is, what size, what acres? Let’s know what the consideration is.”
In response, the Interior Minister said, the developer would receive land deeds for some portions of the lands.
Mr Ablakwa said per the Lands Commission statement the land had been allocated to Prof Adu.
“So the same government, conflicting status, the Interior minister, and the land minister. What are you going to do to really resolve this matter and get the Lands Commission to align with the position of your ministry so that we can protect the Institute lands, which belong to the Ghana Prison Service?
“This gentleman, Professor Kweku Appiah Adu, who is a senior advisor to the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, his Excellency, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, according to the Ghana prison service in these documents I have, it has gone to demolish portions of the fence that you have told us about.”
“The fence you are constructing. Are you aware that he has allegedly led national security operatives? That is what the Ghana prison service is alleging that they are, national security operatives, and they have demolished portions of their fence, seeking to take over. Are you aware of this development, and what are you doing to assist the prison service?”
