The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Northern Development Authority (NDA), Sulley Sambian, has dismissed claims of land encroachment on the authority’s property, reassuring the public that the land allocated to the NDA remains secure and undisturbed.

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The clarification follows concerns raised by NDA staff about a possible sale of portions of the authority’s land, which came to light after the sudden construction of a fence wall by unidentified individuals.On Friday, January 10, the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) committee, led by Chairman Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, visited the property to assess the situation.Speaking on Eyewitness News with Umaru Sanda Amadu, Mr.

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Sambian explained that the NDA owns 1.2 acres of land, not the reported 1.73 acres, and assured that this land remains intact.“There is no such encroachment on our land in the sense that what the Lands Commission offered us was 1.2 acres. We have paid the premium on the 1.2-acre land and we have that land intact. As to why there is another person on the lands, it is for Lands Commission and not us,” he stated.

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“When I heard that they were erecting a wall, I wasn’t even the first person to tell the officers to stop. Then I asked them to ensure that there is no encroachment on our lands. So, as far as I am concerned and to the best of my knowledge, we have our one 1.2-acre land intact. We have not given that land to anybody.”However, the Member of Parliament for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini, expressed concern over Mr.

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Sambian’s statement, suggesting it was inconsistent with available records.“I am scandalized listening to the CEO of the NDA. Available records that should also be available to the CEO indicate clearly that as of 2017 when the NPP government was taking over, the land size which has become the subject of this conversation was 1.

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714 acres, and for the CEO of NDA to reduce the size of the land in his submission, clearly points to what is similar to what has happened to other landed state properties,” he stated.Mr. Suhuyini further called for an investigation, urging President John Mahama to establish a committee to examine how the current government has handled state properties, particularly those belonging to state agencies.

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