Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has dismissed the latest promise by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, to publish a comprehensive list of public lands, calling it a "big joke."

According to Ablakwa, similar promises have been made by previous ministers, yet no such list has ever materialized.

The North Tongu MP's criticism came after Jinapor's press conference on August 14, 2024, where the Lands Minister refuted allegations of the government's improper allocation of state lands to cronies and assured the public that a full list of public lands would soon be published.

The list, Jinapor said, is part of the government's commitment to transparency and accountability in land management.

“The Akufo-Addo administration is firmly committed to protecting public lands from encroachment and misuse," Jinapor stated. "We are finalizing the audit, and once completed, we will publish a detailed list of all public lands.”

However, Ablakwa was unimpressed by the announcement. In an interview with Citi News, he pointed out that this was not the first time such a promise had been made.

"This is a big joke," Ablakwa remarked. "The last Lands Minister told us in Parliament that the President had requested a compilation of public lands, but we have yet to see any such list. Why are we such a joke as a country?"

In his second term in office which began in 2021, President Akufo-Addo replaced Lands Minister Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh with Samuel Abu Jinapor, who was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations at the Office of the President.

Ablakwa went further to expose troubling details he claimed to have uncovered during a parliamentary inquiry.

According to him, the Lands Commission admitted under oath that public lands were being sold off as private properties.

"Can you believe that? The Lands Commission confessed under oath that public lands are being treated like private land sales. We are in a total mess," he said.

Despite Ablakwa's strong words, Mr Jinapor has stood by the government's efforts to protect state lands.

He labeled the accusations as politically motivated and insisted that all transactions involving public lands have been lawful and transparent. Jinapor assured the public that the ongoing audit will prove that the government's handling of public lands has been above board.

“We are determined to show that this government has nothing to hide,” Jinapor reiterated.

“Once the audit is complete and the list of public lands is published, it will build public confidence in the management of our national assets.”