Achimota Forest has not been sold, Lands Minister
Portions of Achimota Forest returned to Owoo Family
Social media users accuse government of selling Achimota Forest Reserve
There have been some mixed reactions on social media after the government revealed some portions of the Achimota Forest in Accra will no longer serve as a forest reserve as it has been handed over to the Owoo Family, who are the owners of the land.
This comes after an Executive Instrument (E.I.) 144 gazetted on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on April 19, 2022, by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor emerged on social media.
Per the document, effective from May 1, 2022, those portions, [361 acres] sections of which had been developed, and had already been granted to the Owoo Family in September 2013, is no longer a forest reserve.
However, some Ghanaians have taken to social media to protest against the sale of the forest reserve.
But the Land Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor has denied the forest reserve has been sold.
During a press conference on May 17, the minister the Executive Instrument, E.I. 144, pertained to 361 acres of peripherals of the Achimota forest that the government is returning to its custodial owners, identified as the Owoo family because the land was not being used for its intended purpose, which included the extension of the Achimota School.
Following this revelation, the Owoo family is currently number one on Twitter trends.
Many have described the family as powerful while others have wondered why the government has not bought the land from the family.
“The Owoo family must be so powerful. They successfully negotiate for increased acreages of 'unused' parts of the forest reserve with successive governments and they just win,” Franklin Cudjoe tweeted.
“Please ask him why isn’t government considering compensating the Owoo family instead of giving out such a strategic asset,” another user said.
Below are some of the tweets
The Achimota Forest Photo credit: GBC