Stop transfer of ownership of Achimota forest land

Social action group, OneGhana Movement, says it is disturbed by recent developments of government’s transfer of portions of the Achimota Forest Reserve lands to private individuals.

“We call on His Excellency, the President, to take immediate steps to reverse all actions taken so far and fully restore the State’s complete control and ownership over the entire Achimota Forest”, the movement said in a statement.

OneGhana Movement’s concerns come in the wake of public angst over a document alleging that the late former Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly called Sir John, included portions of the Achimota forest lands in his will.

“Issues bordering on conflict of interest appear to surface following reports that portions of the land may have been directly or indirectly sold to the former Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, whose responsibility, among others, was to protect our forest reserves”, the statement read in parts.

“We wish to state in no uncertain terms that we are against any form of diversification of the State’s interest in the Achimota Forest, given that the Achimota Forest represents the last frontier of the green belt within the Accra City metropolis”, it added.

E.I. 144 is in relation to 361 acres of Achimota forest that the government is returning to its custodial owners, the Owoo family.

The government has also said there is an accompanying E.I., 154, which says the area of the forest returned shall remain a forest reserve.

But OneGhana Movement maintains that, government’s handling of the Achimota Forest Reserve lands must be done with prudence.