play videoThe land is said to be within the prime Kotoka International Airport Area
Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has raised alarm over what he says is the sale of prime lands around Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to a private company under some shady circumstances.
In his latest exposé tagged the 'Heaven Scandal' and published via his social media handles on Monday, October 2, 2023, the opposition MP accused the President and the Minister for Finance of granting approval for the transaction led by the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), on the blindside of parliament.
“On the blind side of Parliament and the Ghanaian people, President Akufo-Addo and Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta have granted approval for our prime airport lands to be handed over under the most shady of circumstances to a company known as Heaven Builders Limited,” he alleged.
He noted that the Managing Director of GACL, Mrs. Pamela Djamson-Tettey, in 2022, through a correspondence with the Managing Director of Heaven Builders, offered some 38.14 acres of the said land at a total cost of US$85,021,340.00.
“In an outrageous sweetheart deal, the GACL assures Heaven Builders that they will become owners of 38.14 acres of prime airport land in the immediate environs of the Kotoka International Airport under the Airport City Phase 2 Project if they agree to carry out some dubious infrastructure such as roads and drains at a so-called cost of US$85,021,340.00.
“It is most instructive that the offer letter does not provide any independent verification mechanism for really assessing that any claim by Heaven Builders that they have invested US$85 million in infrastructure is indeed accurate,” he stated.
The MP noted that the deal strangely failed to disclose how the supposed infrastructure cost was arrived at and that it is more shocking that the GACL would not be allowed to raise its own funding for the supposed development.
Beyond the initial deal, Mr. Ablakwa, as part of documents shared in his exposé, said the private company has gone ahead to make a counter-offer, demanding double the initial offer for a similar consideration.
“Ghanaians would be more devastated to know that because this is a behind-the-scenes sleazy sweetheart deal, Heaven Builders have made a counter-offer in a letter dated 23rd January, 2023, signed by Frank Owiredu-Affum, a director, where they demand more land. (Letter attached)
“Heaven Builders is now asking for a massive 62.14 acres for the same consideration. This is almost double what they were initially offered.
“They are also demanding that the lease period be extended from 45 years to 99 years,” he stated.
While pegging the current commercial value of land around the Airport Enclave at an average of $4 million per acre, Mr. Ablakwa noted that the offer given to Heaven Builders gives the company the chance of making in excess of US$152 million in profit at the expense of the state.
He further revealed that the situation around the deal has led to a sharp division within the management of GACL, with some managers opposing the deal while others are vehemently pushing the deal through.
According to the MP, the managing director of GACL at one point was threatened with dismissal over accusations of attempting to slow down the deal.
He emphasised that the minority in parliament will demand an inquiry into the deal and thus warned officials involved in the matter to prepare themselves to answer for their roles and actions.
Read the full publication below:
THE HEAVEN SCANDAL - PART 1
The Heaven Scandal is yet another classic manifestation of create, loot and share.
In recent days, leading members of the ruling New Patriotic Party have been publicly condemning the frightening levels of corruption, looting and plundering which is now the irrefutable legacy of the buccaneer Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration.