North Tongu Member of Parliament Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in a damning exposé, has raised serious allegations against President Akufo-Addo, accusing him of using his political influence to allocate state lands to his daughter and niece for private business ventures.
This latest accusation, dubbed “Presidential State Capture,” suggests that the President’s relatives have benefited from prime public lands in the Cantonments area, a neighborhood known for its upmarket properties.
Ablakwa, who has been diligently overseeing parliamentary matters, claims that the land used by Edwina Akufo-Addo’s Nsuomnam Restaurant and Adeline Akufo-Addo Kufuor’s fashion house, The Lotte, were acquired illegally and are, in fact, public property.
According to official documents obtained by Ablakwa’s team, these lands are registered as State Lands under the Certificate of Title for Hausa Reserve, dating back to 1894.
Both businesses, which have been operational for about four years, are allegedly situated on public land, raising questions about the legality of the land transfers.
A formal search conducted by Ablakwa’s oversight team at the Lands Commission in August 2024 confirmed that The Lotte’s location, a fashion boutique operated by the President’s niece, sits on public land.
The search, carried out on August 21, 2024, uncovered that the 0.33-acre property in Cantonments remains designated as state land and has not undergone any development according to the official records.
However, the Lands Commission has been unable to explain how the land came into the possession of Adeline Akufo-Addo Kufuor, and there is no record of any lease or payment for the property.
Similarly, the situation with Edwina Akufo-Addo’s Nsuomnam Restaurant is even more complicated.
Nsuomnam Limited was incorporated in August 2020, with Edwina Akufo-Addo and Awo Mensah (the mother of Alvin Mensah, involved in the controversial US$108 million ambulance scandal) listed as directors.
The restaurant occupies a 1.19-acre plot in Cantonments, which, according to documents obtained from the Lands Commission, is also public land under the 1894 Hausa Reserve acquisition.
In a separate search conducted by Ablakwa’s team on September 8, 2024, the Lands Commission revealed a conflicting record for the same plot.
The second search, dated September 10, 2024, acknowledged the land as state property but claimed there was no plotted activity.
This contradicts the first search, which indicated that the land had been leased to a private individual, Johnson Baoteng Siriboe, in 1969 for a 99-year term, raising serious questions about the true ownership and use of the property.
Ablakwa is calling on both the President and the Lands Commission to come clean about the true nature of the land transactions before January 7, 2025, warning that any attempts to falsify or alter official records will be exposed.
The MP’s investigation also points to the involvement of senior officials at the Lands Commission, suggesting that there may be widespread complicity in this alleged land misappropriation.
Presidential State Capture
– Did President Akufo-Addo gift our public lands to his daughter and niece?
– President Akufo-Addo and the Lands Commission must come clean before the 7th of January, 2025.
– Official Lands Commission documents secured by SOA Oversight as far back… pic.twitter.com/o9XU8BMeH2
— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) December 23, 2024
