NDK Lies About State Land

The desperate moves by cronies of President Mills to save him from his growing notoriety as a hypocrite, especially with respect to his handling of the issue of private acquisition of state lands, continues to fail, exposing him as a man who sees nothing wrong with the policy so long as the beneficiaries are his cronies. Documents available to the 'New Statesman' indicate that founder and CEO of NDK financial services, Oko Nikoi Dzani, who is also the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the Lands Commission, and a confidante of President Mills, was disingenuous with the facts about how he acquired state property located at Cantonments. In a press statement released on Monday June 4, Mr Oko Dzani, through his lawyers, stated that he acquired and paid for Plot No. 48A at Cantonments Residential Area on December 10, 2008 and was executed by the Lands Commission on March 24, 2011. But documentary evidence available to the New Statesman indicates that Mr Oko Dzani�s land located at Cantonments Residential Area is rather Plot No. 30 and not Plot No. 48A as was claimed in the press statement issued by his lawyers. The New Statesman can also confirm, as per documentary evidence available, that Plot No. 30 was taken away from a Ghanaian company in 2011 and given to NDK financial services because Mr Nikoi Dzani, Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the Lands Commission, wanted it. On February 17, 2011, the Managing Director for an estate development company (name withheld), received a letter from the Lands Commission, signed by Executive Secretary W Odame Larbi, with the title: RE: LEASE OF PLOT NO. 30 CANTONMENTS RESIDENTIAL AREA FOR REDEVELOPMENT. The letter reads: �Please refer to Plot No. 30 Cantonments Residential Area leased to you for redevelopment. A review of the redevelopment scheme and an inspection of the site indicate that there is no access to the site. The Commission has therefore decided that an alternative plot of the same size in the same location but with access be allocated to you." Up to date, the Managing Director of the company is still waiting for the promised allocation to be finalised, possession given and title transferred. The letter was copied to the Minister of Lands & Natural Resources, Works and Housing Minister, National Chairman, Lands Commission, and Regional Chairman, Lands Commission. About a month after this letter, the land was given to NDK on 24/03/2011 for 50 years commencing 06/01/11. In fact, the letter of February 17 ended: "All payments you made in respect of Plot No. 30 will be credited to you and you will not be required to make any payments for this allocation." This goes contrary to the claim made by lawyers of Mr Nikoi Dzani that he duly paid for the land on December 10, 2008, after applying to purchase it on December 27, 2006.