Read full articleMohammed Adams Sukparu, has questioned how the late former Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (Sir John) was able to will portions of the Achimota Forest land to his relations.
The MP suggested that the fact that Sir John was able to buy and will portions of the Achimota Forest land to his relations implies that government officials have already shared the land among themselves even before the enactment of an Executive Instrument (EI) to declassify the forest as a reserve.
Sukparu, who made these remarks in a tweet he shared on May 23, 2022, added that a statement released by the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry purporting that the sector minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor has knowledge that the portions of the forest had been bought by John is false.
“He demonstrated knowledge of all the facts relating to the issue as far back as (the) 1920s. In a rather surprising turn of events, facts relating to whether or not Sir John, the former NPP General Secretary owned lands in the Achimota Forest and bequeathed same to his family before his death in 2020 are lost on the Honourable Lands Minister.
“Sir John died in 2020, yet the minister who got into office in 2021 knows the state of Achimota Forest from as far back as 1920 but doesn't know issues relating to ownership in 2020? How preposterous?
“If Sir John's will shows he had the land before he died, it means somehow he acquired it before the E.L which declassified the areas the state is retaining as a forest reserve,” portions of the MP's tweet reads.
He added that he will be filing an urgent question in Parliament when the House reconvenes for Abu Jinapor to respond to the issue of how Sir John got portions of the forest land before its declassification as a reserve because he (Jinapor) has stated severally that the land has not been sold.
The MP made these remarks after it emerged that some members of the governing New Patriotic Party, (NPP), have already acquired some portions of the Achimota forest lands even before the government returns parts of the forest to the Owoo family.
Page 5 of the last will of Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (Sir John) available to GhanaWeb shows that the late CEO of the Forestry Commission together with one Charles Owusu had already secured parts of the Achimota Forest lands.
Sir John in his will wrote that, he owns 0.987 acres of the Achimota Forest land and he gives his portion to his nephews, Michael Owusu, Yaw Boadu and Kwabena Amoateng, forever.
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has however indicated that it is not aware that Sir John owns portions of the Achimota Forest land. It has requested all documents relating to the Achimota lands, as part of an initial inquiry to ascertain the veracity of the claims which are contained in the will of Sir John.
Read the MP's tweet below:
On the Achimota Forest Saga, I’ll be filing an urgent question in Parliament asking the Minister for Lands to clarify how Sir John willed parts of the forest to his nephews at a time when EI144 which reclassified the reserve was non-existent. pic.twitter.com/zGUwvelnS0
— Hon.Mohammed Adams Sukparu (@MaSukparu) May 23, 2022
Aerial view of the Achimota Forest
