General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party(NPP), John Boadu, has proposed that government should be bold and sanction all those who have illegally acquired lands within the Achimota forest reserve.

He says it will at least serve as a deterrent to others who harbor such motives.

Speaking On Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he further explained that government should publish the names of the those who have also illegally acquired lands through their various institutions under guise of hiding their real identity.

"There are some people who have illegally acquired state properties and have turned round to bash government, but you see I believe government should consider lifting the veil for us to see these individuals including some members of the clergy who have all illegally acquired state properties and state lands," he said.

He maintained that until government does this the act of people stealing state properties will not cease. 

"There are people who have legally acquired their properties and in the case of the Achimota lands for instance there are people who legally acquired those lands, but there are others who have made it a habit to steal or illegally acquire state or government property by the virtue of the position of they carry and for me it is very wrong for people to do that," he said.

Government will act on improper acquisition of public lands.

Lands Minster, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor has said government is committed to protecting all public lands from unlawful possession by individuals and state officials.

He says government will act on any improper acquisition of public lands, “regardless of how it was procured, whether now or in the past, and the Achimota Forest lands will not be an exception.”

Mr. Jinapor said this in a statement he issued on Tuesday, May 24 over claims that the late former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, owns lands at the Achimota Forest and Sakumono Ramsar Site.


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E.I 144 is in breach of Act 925 – Minority on declassification of Achimota Forest

The Minority in Parliament has asked President Akufo-Addo to revoke Executive Instrument 144 which seeks to declassify some portions of the Achimota Forest Reserve.

Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu in a statement in parliament noted that Executive Instrument 144 is in breach of the provisions of the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925).

He explained that per the Act, the regulation of land use and spatial planning in Ghana is not conferred on the President.

"President’s exercise of power for the issuance of the Executive Instrument 144 pursuant to section 19 of the Forest Act, 1927 (CAP. 157) is untenable as Section 90(1) of Act 925 provides that: Where a provision of this Act is in conflict with any other enactment relating to land use, the provision of this Act shall prevail.”