Purported return of forest land to the Owoo family is unwise-Citizens' Coalition to government

Members of the Citizens' coalition have lashed out at the government for purportedly returning portions of the Achimota Forest Reserve to previous owners referred to as the Owoo family.

The move, according to the amalgamated civil society group was not the best and in the interest of the nation. According to the coalition, the government's decision has the potential to trigger mass demands across the country by owners of lands compulsorily acquired by the state, for the release of the same.

The coalition made the disclosure last Monday, July 4, 2024, stating their disagreement over the matter with the President on that score. The coalition is therefore urging the president to as a member of constitutional demands do what is required of him by the laws he swore to uphold.

"Given the patronage nature of our politics, our political leaders are more likely to kowtow to these requests for reasons of political expediency", the statement indicated. "Curiously, the Lands and Natural Resources Minister who is acting as the authority of the President, the constitutional trustee of public lands, in this purported return of lands failed to provide any solid reasons as to why the trustee, the President, has taken this decision which is not in the interest of the beneficiaries of the trust(Citizens of Ghana).

The Coalition with a renewed commitment to ensuring equity in terms of Democratic, Accountability, and Inclusive Governance of the system, said the move is not consistent with the public policy perspective, therefore, calling for the right to be done. The Coalition members made a resolved call for the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice, CHRAJ, to immediately take an appropriate step to unravel the validity of the purported claim by the government.

Report by Prosper Kwaku Selassy Agbitor