Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) involved in climate change advocacy have urged both the Executive and Parliament to overturn legislation allowing development within forest reserves.
These groups demand the immediate suspension of Executive Instrument 144 and Legislative Instrument 246 (2), which have declassified the Achimota Forest and other reserves throughout the country, to protect the few remaining reserves.
Coordinator of Eco-Conscious Citizens, argued on Citi FM’s Citi Breakfast Show that declassifying forest reserves goes against the nation’s best interests and should not be permitted.
“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 involves the return of 361 acres of the Achimota Forest to its original custodians, the Owoo family.
Daryl Bosu, Deputy Director of A Rocha Ghana, has urged the Lands Minister to overturn this legislation and halt any attempts to reclassify forest reserves.