The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor has firmly refuted claims that the government has put the Achimota forest up for sale saying “disregard these reports as they are false, Baseless and non-factual”
This declaration follows some news reports circulating on various media platforms that the government has issued an Executive Instrument (EI 144) to declassify the Achimota Forest and is in the process of selling the property.
According to the reports, President Akufo-Addo under Executive Instrument 144 has lifted the 1927 classification of the Achimota Forest in the Greater Accra Region as a Forest Reserve, paving way for its redesignation, reclassification, sale and development by other interests.
Speaking at a Press Conference, the Minister disclosed that what the propagators of these reports failed to add is that the E.I. 144 was published together with another (Amendment) Instrument, 2022, E.I. 154, The Forests, (Achimota Firewood Plantation Forest Reserve) which states emphatically that the area of the forest shall remain a forest reserve and that both instruments contain adequate provisions that seek to protect the ecological integrity of the Forest Reserve.
Hon. Jinapor further clarified that what the EI 144 does is to make the peripheral portions of the Forest Reserve, which had already been granted to the Owoo Family in September, 2013, portions of which have already been developed, cease to be a Forest Reserve, to ensure a development that is consistent with the area of the Forest Reserve.
Hon. Samuel Jinapor elaboratively expounded on the matter, providing all the facts leading to the publications of these two Executive Instruments.
Having provided these facts, the Hon. Minister stated emphatically that “No development can take place without the express approval of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, taking into consideration the ecological integrity of the Forest”
He further added that “The Achimota Forest remains an integral part of the Government’s plan for the protection of our forest cover, and our agenda for aggressive afforestation and reforestation”
The Minister continued “Government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, will continue to protect the Achimota Forest and prevent it from being further encroached and also committed to ensuring that whatever happens on the peripheral portions of the land, does not affect the ecological integrity of the Forest”
The Lands Minister reechoed that the Green Ghana Day which has been scheduled for June 10, 2022 to plant 20 million trees comes off unabated as Ghana’s contribution to the fight against climate change and global warming.
