Accra, Oct. 8, GNA – The Committee for Joint Action (CJA) on Friday called on the Government to implement the National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto pledge to review land transactions after being in power for two years.

In a statement issued in Accra the CJA said: ”We call on President John Evans Atta Mills to honour the manifesto pledge of the NDC that within two years in office, the NDC would review all land transactions in which public lands have been sold to private individuals and companies in contravention of the constitutional requirement for the first option of purchase of such lands to have been made to their previous owners”.

The statement signed by Mr Kwasi Adu said, “The CJA is calling on the President Mills administration to honour its commitment to the Constitution to which they swore to abide by and uphold its claims to honesty, accountability and the rule of law.”

“The CJA sent a formal petition on October 18, 2010 to President Mills in which we called for an independent enquiry into the land grab. It is almost a year now since that petition was delivered but there has not been a response.

“It is indeed, offensive to public morality that a government should acquire lands for public purposes only to turn round to re-sell them to individual politicians or friends of the Government”.

The statement expressed CJA’s concern over government’s inability to stop the resale of lands around the International Students Hostel, near Airport in Accra to individuals even in the face of public protest.

“In addition, we are disappointed that the government has given approval for all the government lands opposite the 37 Military Hospital up to the Lands Commission, which were originally sold to SSNIT to be used for the construction of luxury flats to be sold to individual members of the elite in our society.

“Part of the land would be used for a shopping mall and a private school for the elite. All these are being done against the principles for which the lands were originally acquired. In addition, there has been no assessment of the environmental impact of this construction regarding traffic in an already congested area.”

It called on the Government to implement recommendations of the Dr Agbosu Committee which was established to investigate issues relating to land acquisition by politicians.

“”We believe that government still needs lands for the expansion of public business and the provision of social infrastructure. In this wise, the privatisation of State lands is not a particularly sensible option,” the statement added.