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Intelligence gathered by The Chronicle has revealed that the Aburi Traditional Council would today, July 1, 2014, convene an emergency meeting over the encroachment of the Aburi Botanical Gardens forest reserve by the Chief Executive of Akuapem South. The Traditional Council (Adonten Division), made up of four core towns, including Aburi, Brekuso, Ahweraso and Atweasin would also discuss the cutting down of some economic trees in the forest reserve by the DCE and what the products were used for. They would also discuss how to find an amicable solution to the impasse between the DCE and staff of the Aburi Botanical Gardens as a result of the encroachment of the 172-year-old forest reserve. Further to that, they would discuss finding an alternative land for the proposed Assembly office complex. The DCE had earlier rejected about three acres of land released by the Department of Parks and Gardens to the Assembly for the proposed construction of an office complex. Other stakeholders expected to be part of this important meeting are the NPP MP for Akuapem South, Osei Bonsu Amoah, DCE for the area, Kwadwo Afari-Gyan and a representative from the Akuapem Traditional Council. The meeting, The Chronicle understands, was influenced by the recent comments of a deputy Minister of Local Government & Rural Development, Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum. On June 24, 2014, he told Parliament that his outfit was not aware that a portion of the Aburi Botanical Gardens forest reserve has been granted to the Akuapem South District Assembly to construct an Assembly office complex, despite series of media publications about the issue. �Mr. Speaker, I am not aware that fifteen acres of land has been granted to the Assembly. However, if the House demands it, I will cross check with the Ministry furnish the information back to Parliament�, he noted. The response from the deputy Minister, who is also the NDC MP for Nkoransa South, was in a reaction to a question filed by Hon. Osei Bonsu Amoah, over �what measures the Ministry is putting in place towards the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Aburi Botanical Gardens�. Earlier on June 1, 2014, just a day after Mr. Oppong-Fosu was relieved from his post, Mr. Agyekum, granted an interview to a local FM station, pledging that the Ministry of Local Government & Rural Development would preserve the ecology of the Aburi Botanical Gardens. �We can�t do away with Aburi Gardens; it is a symbol of this country and something very important to the environment�, Mr. Agyekum was quoted as saying by Citi News. The Aburi Botanical Gardens, which operates under the Department of Parks & Gardens and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) are all agencies under the Ministry of Local Government & Rural Development. Ever since the DCE attempted to develop a portion of the forest reserve into an office complex, there has been public outcry over the matter, with many calling on the President to launch full scale investigations into it. The Forestry Commission (FC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have, accordingly, reacted by sending a notice to Mr. Afari-Gyan, warning him not to encroach on the forest since the area serves as a wildlife habitat. President John Dramani Mahama, also alarmed by the destruction of the forest reserve, summoned the then Minister of Local Government & Rural Development, Mr. Kwasi Oppong-Fosu, for questioning. It is, however, unclear whether the destruction of the forest reserve by the DCE informed President Mahama in relieving Mr. Oppong-Fosu of his post and to reassign him. The Aburi Botanical Gardens covers an area of 160 acres (64.34 hectares), out of which 35 acres have been developed. The Garden is one of the leading gardens in the world for research into tropical botany. It is made up of orchids, flower plots, rock gardens, children�s park, nurseries and chalets (apartments for rental). It further has 13 hectares of undeveloped land (forest) reserved in its wild state, as a means of stabilizing the ecology of the area.