Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, who was recently in the news for fanning tribal sentiments, is in the news again, this time, for alleged wrong reasons.
The former Second Deputy Speaker has been accused of dishonesty and double standards over parcels of land purchased by Koans Building Solutions Limited, an estate development company for development.
The Chief Executive Officer of Koans Solutions Limited, Mr Andrews Kofi Anokye, yesterday bluntly described the former Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament as dishonest.
“I am surprised that this man is said to be honourable. He has collected money from me to vacate my lands for me to develop. How come that after collecting the money, you turned round and claimed you don’t even know me? If you claim that the land does not belong to you but rather your family members, why should you come for the money in the first place? This is strange,” he told The General Telegraph yesterday after the two had had heated exchanges over the matter on radio.
Prof. Oquaye, who had petitioned the Inspector General of Police and the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources to investigate the number of lands acquired by the estate developer, failed to confront the developer on the programme.
“I am not ready to debate him on radio, just ask him whether he has the land title to build or he has permit to build. He is just terrorizing people in the area,” he said.
Prof. Oquaye, also a former New Patriotic Party (NPP) member of parliament for Dome Kwabenya in the Greater Accra Region, however, could not speak on the injunctions secured by Koans Solutions preventing him, Prof. Oquaye, and his allies from entering the land.
Prof. Oquaye said the land in question was given to him by his family members and that after the destruction of his property, he had requested payment. He was however quick to add that he did not know Mr Kofi Anokye. The latter , who also called into the programme, laughed off the allegation that he did not have permit and the necessary documentation.
“How can I construct or build without documentation? This is laughable. I bought the lands from the people and he (Prof. Oquaye) claimed that some people from the same family sold the land to him and he came and said I should settle him for his materials for him to go and face his grantors, which I did. He collected money from me and he is aware that the court granted me permit to work on the land and I expect that he as a lawyer and minister of the gospel should know better. He should not throw dust into the eyes of Ghanaians,” Anokye said.
According to him, he has legally acquired the lands from the original owners and that action being initiated by Prof. Oquaye in asking the IGP and Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to investigate the matter smacks of dishonesty and double standard.
Mr Anokye says all his documents are intact and that whoever wants verification should go to court.
He dismissed allegations that he recruited land guards to terrorize people. “As a businessman working for people, how can I recruit land guards to terrorize people? It is complete falsehood. I know people can fabricate and lie. But if what Prof. Oquaye is doing is something to go by as a leader, then we have a problem in this country,” he added.