Achimota Forest sags: Abu Jinapor's explanation contradicts the Executive Instrument he signed - Tameklo

‘In Abu Jinapor’s wisdom, you enhance the protection of a forest reserve by declassifying it’ - Edudzi

How can you enhance the protection of a forest reserve by declassifying it? – Edudzi

Govt has not declassified Achimota Forest Reserve – Jinapor

A member of the National Democratic Congress legal team, Edudzi Kudzo Tameklo, has said that the explanation given by the Lands and Natural Resources Minister Samuel Abu Jinapor for the declassification of portions of the Achimota Forest Reserve is not good enough.

According to him, the reserve already had issues of encroachment and declassifying it would only worsen things.

In a post on his Twitter handle, Edudzi said that the minister’s explanation at a press conference contradicts the Executive Instrument he signed.

“For the first time, I have witnessed a minister rebut himself moments after the EI was made public. Samuel Abu Jinapor claims the Achimota Forest has not and will not be sold, and yet the whole area ceases to be a forest reserve by his hand.

“Even when it was a forest reserve, it was being encroached upon. In Abu Jinapor’s wisdom, you enhance the protection of a forest reserve by declassifying it as a forest reserve. Priceless,” portions of the lawyer’s post read.

Meanwhile, Samuel Abu Jinapor has said that the government has not declassified the entire Achimota Forest.

He explained that the government only declassified peripheral portions of the forest reserve that was rightly released by the then John Dramani Mahama government to the Owoo family.

The minister added that he, on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, enacted an Executive Instrument to amend the law (Forest Act, CAP 157) which made the portion of the land given to the Owoo family a reserve so that the family would have full assess it.

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