The Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr John Kumah has debunked allegations that he has unlawfully taken over some lands in Ejisu in the Ashanti region and threatened to sue critics.
A statement signed by the Member of Parliament for Ejisu said “I have taken notice of a viral video where a woman accuses me of taking over lands that do not belong to me”.
“I would like to refute these baseless claims and set the record straight regarding the true events surrounding the acquisition and use of the said land.”
As many of you are aware, during my campaign to become the MP for Ejisu, I made a solemn promise to the people that I would establish an asphaltic plant to address the road deficiencies in the constituency.
To realize this vision and create job opportunities, the EJISU Club 100 was established to collaborate with Sogood Engineering and Construction Company to undertake this project among several others.
In the pursuit of fulfilling this commitment, I approached my family chief, Nana Kofi Agyei, for a piece of land for the construction of the asphaltic plant which he gifted to me in the presence of other family members after the Aseda custom were followed.
The intention behind this gift was never for personal gain but to uplift the community and improve the lives of its residents through job creation and enhanced infrastructure.
The progress of the asphaltic plant construction, which has reached an impressive 90% completion, stands as a testament to my unwavering dedication to fulfilling the promises made to my constituents during my campaign.
Regrettably, it has come to my attention that a few members of the family are expressing discontent over the gift of the land by the family chief. A land they have no rightful claim to.
I acknowledge their right to have differing opinions, but strongly oppose their unwarranted insults and attacks directed at me for having forcefully taken their lands.
In response to the claims, I have already taken the necessary steps by reporting the matter to the Ejisu Police Service for the arrest of the individuals involved. I have also notified the family chief of the very distasteful actions of the individuals involved for the necessary customary actions to be taken against them.
As is evident in the video, there are no private houses built on the land but rather, heavy duty vehicles, and quarters for workers working on the asphaltic plant, equipment for the asphaltic plants among several others.
It is very disheartening that in my quest to address a major challenge in the constituency, I have rather been attacked and vilified for an act I have not taken.
I would like to urge the public to disregard the content of the video and admonish the media of the defamatory comments in the video and their exposure to legal actions if it is believed that they are deliberately spreading the content of the video.
