Speaker’s House Has Not Been Sold …says Lands Commission

The Lands Commission (LC) says it has not sold the residence of the Speaker of Parliament, which is located at Cantonments, in Accra, to any private developer as is being rumoured.

In a statement released in Accra yesterday, The LC said the land in question was acquired in 1920 by a Certificate of Title, dated 7th June, 1920 for Government services. It was, however. designated as the official residence of the Speaker of Parliament in 2003.

In November 2022, the statement continued, the Parliamentary Service applied for a Certificate of Allocation to regularise their occupation of the land, which measures approximately 1.66 acres. This application has since been granted.

The following is the full statement:

The Lands Commission has become aware of reports in a section of the media suggesting that the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament’s official residence at Cantoments has been sold to a private developer.

The Commission wishes to state emphatically, that at no point in time was the said property sold to a private developer by the Lands Commission.

Records available to the Commission indicates that;

The land in question was acquired in 1920 by a Certificate of Title, dated 7^th June, 1920 for Government services.

Since 2003, the land has always been used as the official residence of the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament.

By an application dated 15^th November, 2022 and numbered PS/LS/002/12/22, Parliamentary Service applied for a Certificate of Allocation to regularise their occupation of the land, which measures approximately 1.66 acres.

At its sixty-fourth (64^th) Regular Meeting held on 22^nd December, 2022 the Regional Lands Commission approved the application, after all statutory processes, including planning approval from the La Dadekotopon Municipal Assembly, had been duly concluded.

On 14^th February, 2023 the Lands Commission made an offer of allocation to Parliamentary Service.

Parliamentary Service accepted the offer, and after paying the requisite fees, a Certificate of Allocation, dated 28^th April, 2023 was issued to Parliamentary Service.

The Lands Commission is, therefore, unaware of any purported sale of the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament’s official residence to a private developer.

The Commission wishes to reiterate its commitment to the prudent and efficient management of public lands in the national interest, and promote effective land administration that is anchored on the highest standards of integrity, transparency and candour.