The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, has indicated that former President John Mahama, by executive approval, gave out Achimota Forest for redevelopment in 2013.
He made this remark while debunking reports that the ruling government has sold Achimota Forest.
Speaking in an interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', he said: "on September 5, 2013, the then President, John Dramani Mahama, gave Executive Approval for the conversion of the forest reserve into an ecotourism park, and to release the peripheral portions of the forest reserve to the Owoo family, in accordance with the recommendations of the committee”.
The minister explained that because the land remained a forest reserve, by virtue of Order 31 of 1930, the lessees and sub-lessees could not develop the land, although they had obtained all the necessary permits.
He said pursuant to the same Executive Approval, the Forestry Commission, acting on behalf of President entered into an agreement with Aikan Capital, a limited liability company, for the development of core areas of the forest into an eco-tourism park.
The commission also executed a lease agreement with the company in February 2016, by which 227.84 hectares of the reserve were leased to the company to undertake the planned development.
“The Owoo family and their grantees, in a bid to develop the peripheral portions of the land which had already been granted to them, continued to petition the government to release of the peripheral portions as a forest reserve,” Mr Jinapor added.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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vincent THE DAY YOU FOOOLS WILL WAKE UP FROM THE ***barred word*** THAT HAS CLOUDED YOUR BRAINS NOT TO THINK AS HUMANS ANYMORE , THIS CORRUPT-USELESSS AND INCOMPETENT LED AFUKU ADOO GOVERNMENT WILL SELL MOTHER GHANA AND WILL BLAME MAHAMA FOR IT, THE PEOPLE GAVE THIS ***barred word*** GOVERNMENT THE MANDATE TO SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS NOT TO BURDEN THEM WITH SUFFERING AND BLAME OTHERS FOR IT ,WHY DO WE LET POLITICS BLIND US FROM EVEN THINKING ANYMORE BUT FOLLOW OLD ***barred word*** LEADING MOTHER GHANA INTO A DITCH?...GOD SAVE GHANA
Danlad, do you understand Executive approval? A past president has already issued an executive instrument yet his party and favourite media are out there throwing dust into public eyes and the minister is here to expose them and you say what? Masa spare us the hypocrisy
Please that is not the issue, it was because of such things we kicked Mahama and his cohorts out of office.So making reference to Mahama to justify what you are doing doesn't make sense. You voted for the NPP to come and correct the wrongs not to come further worsen the plight of the people. As a lands and natural resources minister why are you watching as almost all the economic trees in the north are being fell to produce charcoal, economic trees like the Shea, mahogany, dawadawa are being depleted at an alarming rate, that one you have closed your eyes to it. You came and met the achimota forest, you didn't even plant one single tree there, just go away and leave it as it is. Nobody has asked you to do any declassification of any Achimota forest, the last nobody asked you to suspend road tolls because they couldn't pay but your roads minister suspended it, nobody has complained about the president appointing MMDCE's, but your president want them elected on party lines, what's your problem. Things that matter, you close your eyes to them, things that don't matter at all,you want to go there, to satisfy who. Every 24 hours this government provides John Mahama with ammunition to fire in 2024. I pity my party NPP under Akuffo Addo. You just can't comprehend what goes into his thinking.