Govt has lifted the Executive Instrument that makes the whole Achimota forest a reserve and when questioned Government’s explanation is that the erstwhile NDC government gave away part of the forest reserve as a lease which was subleased to private developers.
Excuse me, I thought you told Ghanaians that then NDC government was messing up the Country and that you were offering us a better alternative?
Then you come into government 5 years down the line do worse than the NDC government was doing and when you asked you tell us the NDC government did the same, are you kidding me???
So the NDC Government released part of the forest reserve (which was not the first time, part of the Achimota Forest was given out in the 70’s for the establishment of GIMPA, part was given to establish the forestry commission and also the earthquake monitoring or seismological center) so you want to sell the rest right??
None of these governments who gave out part of the forest to set up these very important projects ever attempted to completely lift the Executive Instrument that makes the forest a reserve.
Again government explanation that it want to turn the Achimota forest into a World Class Eco-tourist center is the most laughable of the excuses.
Most Eco-tourist centers around the World are all Reserves or National Parks, how do you lift an E.I making a forest reserve because you want to set up an Eco-tourist center?
What do these people take us for, a bunch of people who don’t understand English or what??
So Government is saying it cannot convert Achimota forest into an Eco-tourism center without lifting the E.I?
Please they should spare us this joke, unless there’s an ulterior motive for the use of the reserve government can conveniently modify, redesign the Achimota forest to whatever World Class Eco-tourism center it wants without touching the E.I that makes it a reserve if indeed the purpose is for same.
The painful part is that Ghana risk loosing about $10million recieve annually from International Conservative Organizations just for preserving our forest reserves.
We demand more answers from the Minister for Lands Minister because the ones he gave yesterday has been quickly dropped in the bin!!
Mensah Thompson
Executive Director, ASEPA