No Record Show Sir John’s Ownership Of Land At Lands And Forestry Commissions–Jinapor Declares
Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, has stated categorically that there are no records at the Lands and the Forestry Commissions which had attested to the fact that the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Forestry Commission, Mr. Kojo Owusu Afriyie aka Sir John has bequeathed parcels of lands in the Achimota Forest reserve and the Sakumono
Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu Greater 
Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Mr. Samuel Abu Jinapor, has stated categorically that there are no records at the Lands and the Forestry Commissions which had attested to the fact that the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Forestry Commission, Mr. Kojo Owusu Afriyie aka Sir John has bequeathed parcels of lands in the Achimota Forest reserve and the Sakumono Ramsar Site in Accra, to some of his relatives.
Abatement dated Tuesday, 24 May 2022 and signed by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, however, said: “Preliminary inquiries reveal that the alleged Will in question is a subject matter of litigation or contestation in the courts.”
“Further checks at the Lands and the Forestry Commissions, the repositories of the records of the lands in question, show no record of ownership of Lands at, the Achimota Forest or the Sakumono Ramsar Site, by the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie”, the statement added.
It continued: “That said, given the totality of the circumstances of the said allegations, I, as Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, have directed the Lands and Forestry Commissions to deem any ownership of lands, both, in the Achimota Forest and the Sakumono Ramsar Site by the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie as void and are to take the appropriate actions accordingly.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, the bequeathing of the aforesaid lands, if established, will not pass any interest/title to the named beneficiaries in the alleged Will.
These lands, the subject matter of the alleged Will, shall remain Public Lands, whether or not it falls within the de-gazetted lands under E. I 144.”
“Government will act on any improper acquisition of any Public Lands, regardless of how it was procured, whether now or in the past, and the Achimota Forest Lands will not be an exception,” the statement noted.
Meanwhile, the pressure group OccupyGhana has written to Mr. Jinapor, about the recent reclassification of the Achimota Forest reserve in specific and the general phenomenon of returning government lands to their former owners, saying there is “evidence of how some of these lands have been quietly sold to government and party officials”.
“Since sending that letter to you, we have had further cause to believe that this state of affairs is worse and much wider than is apparent”, a statement issued by the group on Monday, 23 May 2022 stated, adding: “We are also concerned that there might have been serious instances of conflict of interest and conflict of duty involving government officials and other government actors, concerning those lands”.
“We, therefore, write to demand that you revoke or suspend the operation of the Forests (Cessation of Forest Reserve) Instrument, 2022 (EI 144) and the Forests (Achimota Firewood Plantation Forest Reserve) (Amendment) Instrument, 2022 (EI 154) forthwith”, the group insisted.
Instead, it noted, “We demand a full public inquiry under Chapter 23 of the Constitution into the matter of the Achimota Forest Reserve”.
The government has been explaining that it is returning 361 acres of peripheral lands bordering the forest reserve to the custodial owners, the Owoo family.
It recently emerged that some of those lands were captured as an inheritance in the will of the late CEO of the Forestry Commission, Mr. Kojo Owusu Afriyie (Sir John).
