Portions of the Achimota Forest will no longer be part of the forest reserve.
This comes after President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has signed an Executive Instrument (EI) to declassify portions of the reserve.
An eight-paged document was widely circulated on social media, which purported to mean that the classification of the Achimota Forest Reserve has been lifted to pave way for a possible redevelopment for other purposes.
The Instrument gazetted on behalf of President Akufo-Addo by the Lands Minister Samuel Abdulai Jinapor stipulated that effective May 1, 2022, the land on which the Forest is located shall cease to be a forest reserve, pursuant to Section 19 of the Forest Act, 1927 (CAP. 157).
“The District Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority with jurisdiction over the land specified in the schedule, shall, within three months after the coming into force of this instrument, prepare for the approval of the Minister [of Lands], a master plan for the development of the land specified in the schedule,” the document said.
The development created controversy on social media with some indicating the forest reserve has been sold.
Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor dismissed reports that the Forest reserve in Accra has been sold.
He said rumours suggesting the government has gazetted an Executive Instrument (E.I.) to approve the redesignation, sale or development of the land are fake and must be utterly disregarded.
President Akufo-Addo also ordered the creation of a master plan for the development of the land by the District Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority.
Vice President of Imani Africa who is also private legal practitioner, Kofi Bentil in a Facebook post said ” Bye Bye Achimota Forest. Sold! What is this??!”
