Mahama’s government couldn’t start transformation of Achimota forest due to 2016 elections, Kweku Baako
The looting of state lands has now been extended to forest reserves, Minority
The editor-in-chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr, has stated that the John Dramani Mahama government signed an agreement worth some US$1.2 billion for the transformation of the Achimota forest reserve into an eco-park.
According to Mr Baako, the proposal of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government to transform sections of the Achimota forest into an eco-park is just a continuation of the deal signed by Mahama.
The editor-in-chief, who made these remarks in a Peace FM interview monitored by GhanaWeb, added that the Akufo-Addo government only renegotiated the deal to get portions of the forest transformed into the eco-park and not all of it.
“Some of those people on social media attacking the government, apparently have no idea that the Mahama administration came up with this policy of eco-park. I principal, I think there is nothing wrong with it.
"A company (ICAN Capital) was given a ten-year contract worth $1.2 billion after a bidding process. There was a public event (a sword cutting event) to start the project and many media houses were there and there are documents that prove this... that project was going to be a massive project, 10 years lease to design, build and operate the eco-park,” he said in Twi.
He further stated that the only reason the Mahama administration did not start the transformation of the forest was that they were booted out of power after signing the contract with ICAN Capital in August 2016.
Meanwhile, members of the minority caucus in Parliament have bemoaned the decision of the government to declassify portions of the Achimota forest.
In a statement, the minority said that declassification of portions of the forest reserve is an attempt by some government officials to loot lands belonging to the state, which is worrying because the grabbing of state lands has now been extended to reserves.
