Audio Attachment:Listen to Kwesi Pratt Jnr. during his submission on the Peace Fm's "kokrokoo" programme. |
Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has called on President Mills to act immediately by going to the rescue of the Director of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) and some security personnel of the commission who were rounded up by the police on Monday for allegedly causing unlawful damage to the property of a construction firm, Anaina International Company Limited, at Kwabenya in Accra.
He said it is embarrassing and disgraceful that the State will support a foreign company to take over state lands as against citizens of the country.
He was commenting on the arrest of Professor Edward Akaho and some 38 other workers for alleged acts of vandalism and arson on Peace FM�s �Kokrokoo� Morning Show.
The senior journalist said he feels ashamed that the NDC is engaged in the same vice it accused the NPP of when they were in opposition regarding the sale of state property.
�The sale of state lands is dirty and I feel so embarrassed and ashamed. I remember what we said when some government appointees under the NPP bought state lands and bungalows. I also vividly recall the campaign some officials of this current NDC administration and myself waged in 2006-2008 against the NPP on the sale of government properties, and look at what is happening now?�.I am so ashamed and I wonder whether it is the same NDC we joined hands with against the NPP when they were grabbing state properties? Have they forgotten so soon? And even if they have, are they unaware that Ghanaians will go to the polls again? This is shocking!� he said.
The GAEC Boss had earlier openly admitted to Peace FM that he authorized the security personnel to demolish and set fire to a sale point office structure and other properties belonging to Anaina. The GAEC and the private company Anainia, are both laying claim to a 700,000 square meter land in the Legon-Atomic enclave area.
Contributing to discussions on the subject, Kwesi Pratt condemned the arrest of the GAEC Director and the land dispute between the commission and the Chinese company and also expressed disappointment at the NDC for giving out state property as compensation to individuals who have been wronged by the government.
�Not too long ago, a government bungalow was transferred to a private person as compensation because a particular road under construction had affected portions of his land. It took us three publications (in subsequent editions of the Insight newspaper) to get a reaction and the response we received was so annoying; where are we heading to as a country if government bungalows are given out as a form of compensation for a piece of land that a road construction affects? If we had given out government bungalows as compensation from 1957, do you think there would have been any left by now?� he quizzed.
A clearly riled Kwesi Pratt wondered what would have become of the country if Ghana�s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah had doled out government bungalows as compensation and sold off state lands to foreign businesses.
�When the country first constructed the Atomic Energy Commission under Nkrumah�s watch, India did not even have one but because of greediness and self-centeredness, we are still where we are�ex-President Kufuor set up a commission to find an alternative source of energy and their findings indicated that nuclear was the answer�and we all thought the nation was going to seriously consider this option but the exact opposite is what is currently happening,� Kwesi Pratt said.
He questioned the motive behind the sale of land belonging to the GAEC to a foreign company when it could have been used for the expansion of the nuclear project.
�The small piece of land that could be used for the expansion of the nuclear project too has been sold and to none other than a Chinese company. Which country will let a foreign national site a company on their atomic facility? The land that can be used for the nuclear facility has been sold to foreign nationals, my goodness, what is happening in this country?� he questioned.
Mr. Pratt also raised concerns over the lack of cooperation between the security agencies.
��it is surprising to see the police one side protecting the interest of the Chinese company and National Security at the other end siding with the Atomic commission�I urge President Mills to call the Lands Commission to order or face the consequences of their actions,� he said.
Source: Beatrice Adepa Frempong/peacefmonline.com
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