Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the climate change space have called on the Executive and Parliament to reverse legislation permitting forest reserve developments.
The groups are demanding that Executive Instrument 144 and Legislative Instrument 246 (2) that declassified the Achimota Forest and other reserves across the country, be immediately halted to save the few and fast-depleting reserves left.
The coordinator for Eco-Conscious Citizens, Awula Serwaa, argued on the Citi Breakfast on Citi FM that declassifying forest reserves is not in the country’s interest and must not be permitted to prevail.
“The government acquired lands for horticultural purposes and not for commercial purposes and so we need to have an audit and those structures on Parks and Gardens lands must be removed immediately. We are asking the Cabinet to rescind E.I 144 to reverse the declassification of the Achimota Forest and also, Parliament must reverse LI 246 (2) because they are not in the interest of Ghana or Ghanaians.”
“The colonial administration had the good sense to have forest reserves for posterity, knowing the value of forests and now, with all our education, we want to convert our protective forest reserves into developments. There is an increase in lung diseases due to all these developments,” Awula Serwaa further told Caleb Kudah on Thursday.
E.I. 144 is in relation to 361 acres of Achimota forest that the government is returning to its custodial owners, the Owoo family.
The Deputy Director of A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bosu also urged the Lands Minister to reverse the legislation and block any attempts to reclassify forest reserves.
“Citizens were thinking that with all the uproar, the government will rescind its decision but they are seriously on the forest reserve demarcating portions of the forest and that is very unfortunate.
“It is unfortunate that this is happening at a time we are talking about air pollution and other things yet we are still determined to go into the forest. The government must take a bold step and say, they are going to listen to the people and stop the demarcation because the Achimota Forest is very important and the Lands Minister must not allow it.”