Claims that the late Sir John gave portions of Achimota forest to relatives are being investigated by the Lands Ministry.
The Lands Ministry says it is looking into claims that former Forestry Commission CEO Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, aka Sir John, gave part of the Achimota Forest lands to his relatives.
"The Ministry takes the allegations seriously and has requested all documents relating to the lands in question as part of an initial investigation to determine the veracity of the claims," it said in a statement.
On May 22, a photograph of a portion of Mr. Afriyie's Will went viral.
It was revealed that three different lands within the Achimota Forest had been distributed to some of the late CEO's family members.
This sparked public outrage, with some claiming that the government declassified a portion of the Forest as a reserve in order to make such allocations legal.
The Lands Ministry, on the other hand, has denied such allegations, claiming that "the issues that form the basis of the allegations predate the tenure of the current Minister, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor."
"It is critical that he has full knowledge of the facts in order to take appropriate action, if the claims have any merit."
"The Ministry assures the general public and the good people of Ghana that the national interest will be protected, particularly in matters pertaining to the Achimota Forest," the statement continued.
Achimota Forest Reserve has been declassified.
An eight-page Executive Instrument (E.I.) was widely circulated on social media, purporting to mean that the Achimota Forest Reserve's classification had been lifted to allow for possible redevelopment for other purposes.
The Lands Minister, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, gazetted the Instrument on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, stating that the land on which the Forest is located will cease to be a forest reserve on May 1, 2022, in accordance with Section 19 of the Forest Act, 1927. (CAP. 157).
According to the document, the cessation would take effect on May 1, 2022.
The government, according to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, is not selling the land.
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