The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Northern Development Authority (NDA), Lawyer Sulley Sambian, has refuted allegations of corruption leveled against him and the authority, describing them as baseless and lack merit.
In a press release issued on January 11, 2025, Lawyer Sambian disproved the accusations circulating on social media and online platforms, involving claims of the sale of state lands in Cantonments, Accra, and Tamale, the disappearance of motorbikes, unethical procurement practices, and irregularities in vehicle auctions.
Stating his position, Lawyer Sambian emphasized that his decision to respond was out of respect for concerned stakeholders and to uphold transparency within the NDA, as he gave detailed responses to the allegations, including the history of actions taken under his tenure and clarifications on processes followed.
The CEO strongly dismissed allegations regarding the sale of NDA lands, the auctioning of vehicles and missing resources and further highlighted the measures his administration has taken to improve accountability and efficiency within the authority.
In the statement, Lawyer Sambian criticized the media outlets that propagated the allegations without contacting him for clarification, calling the publications defamatory and a breach of journalistic standards.
Read the full text which provides a comprehensive account of the events:
PRESS RELEASE-11th January 2025
The attention of the Northern Development Authority has been drawn to publications on Social Media platforms from at least three online portals:
1. A certain home radio
online
2. Ghanaweb
3. Radio Tamale
The crux of these publications make allegations of suspected sale of state lands situated at cantoments Accra and Tamale, Auctioning of “serviceable vehicles”, unethical procurement practices, disappearance of some 24 motorbikes and missing Toyota Pick Up vehicle.
As a general principle, I do not reply to pathetically lame allegations of this sort, let alone pay attention to allegations that lack profundity and depth.
However, I have, out of the abundance of caution, and the respect I have for those who are genuinely disturbed about these allegations, decided to provide a platform to set the records straight by way of a rejoinder.
1. SALE OF NDA LANDS IN ACCRA AND TAMALE
It would be recalled that sometime in March 2023, the president of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo appointed me as the Acting Chief Executive Officer for the NDA. When I assumed office, there was a compelling need for the Authority to explore possibilities for seeking partnerships to develop its liaison office property at Cantonments in Accra into modern complex offices as other agencies have done.
I made a representation to the Board on this at one of its minuted meetings, whereupon, the Board of Directors formed a committee to look into the matter.
During the process of scouting for prospective partners, I realised quite shockingly that there were no land title documents in the form of a lease to the property in the Name of Northern Development Authourity or its predecessor, the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority. So there was no legal ownership right to the office and its land for any partnership with potential investors.
An application process of securing a leasehold was made to the Lands Commission. The Lands Commission made an offer of 1.2 acres to the Authority. These dimensions have since been the same to the best of my knowledge.
Let it be placed on record however that, neither the board chairman nor management knew about the erection of the wall in issue until the night security called to inform me about the state of affairs. Since I couldn’t ascertain the fact of encroachment, I advised that the erection of the wall should not proceed until I could ascertain the extent of our land.
As for the allegations regarding sale of our Tamale lands, the least said about it, the better. NOTHING OF THE SORT HAS HAPPENED. The NDA has several lands within its operational zone, and none of these lands have been sold to anybody.
2. DISAPPEARANCE OF 24 MOTORBIKES
I assumed office at the time the store keeper had vacated post. So one staff had been acting. When I brought this to the attention of the Board, I was directed to find a store keeper. Then arose the need to take stock of what was available in the stores. It was during the stock taking that it came to light, that motorbikes had disappeared. I directed my Deputy C.E.O. in charge of Finance and Administration to report the matter to the police and this was promptly done, and arrests were made. Those now pretending to love NDA more than everybody were the ones shamefully inciting junior officers to protest over the arrests!
For the records, the matter is before the Northern Regional Police Command in Tamale.
3. PURCHASE AND SALE OF TRICYCLES AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The Authority, as part of the infrastructure for poverty eradication programme, allocated tricycles to support rural food transport across Northern Ghana. We followed due process in the procurement of these tricycles at subsidized rates with almost 100 percent recovery, unlike what pertained in the past.
And for the records, neither the board chairman nor I have any relationship with the supplier of these tricycles
4. MISSING TOYOTA HILUX WITH REGISTRATION NUMBER GS 9442-21 IN THE POSSESSION OF THE BOARD CHAIRMAN
When I assumed office in March 2023, the pickup in question had already been assigned to the Board Chairman for his use any time he was in Accra, as he attended several meetings on behalf of the Authority. At all material times, the Authority had enough vehicles for operations and there was no need for a return of the pickup, particularly when we mostly required his expertise as a consultant in the development space. Is it not even strange that a pickup in the possession of a board chairman can be alleged to be missing?
5. AUCTION OF VEHICLES
The Authority, prior to my assumption of office had started a process of auctioning unserviceable vehicles. The process of auction was preceded by an advertisement in the media, inviting interested Ghanaians to submit their bids. As far as I am concerned, due process was followed in the sale of the unserviceable vehicles. All proceeds from the sale of these auctioned vehicles were lodged in a government account domiciled with the Bank of Ghana
In conclusion, it is terribly sad that none of the media houses that first published these defamatory publications even took steps to contact me or the board chairman, contrary to acceptable journalistic standards. We find this quite worrying.
Thank you
Sulley Sambian
Ag. Chief Executive Officer, Northern Development Authority (NDA)
