<<Print>>

Businessman politician, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, has stated his opposition on the sale of the Achimota Forest, the largest remaining urban green-belt in the country, to a so-called development partner, a United Kingdom based Aikan Capital Limited, at a time Ghana was seriously threatened by climate change.

According to Dr. Nduom, the very reasons adduced by government to justify the sale were in fact the reasons why the forest should not be sold to any investor in the first place, but rather preserve it for present generation and generations yet unborn.

In the estimation of Dr. Nduom, if “our forbearers” saw the need to conserve the Achimota Forest then it was incumbent on our current leaders to do same for future generations.

The Forestry Commission with the full backing of the sector ministry, the Lands and Natural Resources, last week Friday, February 19, 2016, signed an agreement with Aikan Capital Limited, to convert the Achimota Forest into an international eco-tourism facility.

Under the agreement, Aikan Capital Limited would invest a total of US$1.2 billion into the development of the Accra Ecopark Project the first of its kind in Ghana.

Meanwhile there are doubts about the credibility of the company in relation to its ability to fund the project.

Today checks have revealed that the last time the company filed its annual returns with UK authorities was on 14th June, 2014.

Further checks about the current status of the company revealed that most of the directors resigned in 2015 including Oheneba Yaw Otchere, who initiated the agreement as the Chief Executive Officer of Aikan Capital.

What is not clear as at now, however, is whether the company has been reconstituted under a new name and ownership because as at January 16, this year the final gazette to dissolve the company through a voluntary strike out had been issued by UK authorities.

Aikan Capital was incorporated on June 14, 2012 as a private company limited by share capital with the registered address as:179 Torridon Road, London SE6 1RG,UK, and had, among others, four directors, two of whom are British-Ghanaians ,Benjamin Akwasi and Oheneba Yaw Otchere .

Dr. Nduom expressed his displeasure at the launch of the SRC week celebrations at the Valley View University on Monday, where he was the Special Guest of Honour.

He was extremely worried that most of the country’s green belts were disappearing with no shred of concern from officialdom.

“Why should the Achimota forest be transformed into a leisure centre and amusement park because those entrusted with the power to protect it cannot do so,” he questioned.

Meanwhile the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Nii Osah Mills, stated last week that the conversion of the Achimota Forest into an ecotourism facility would not only generate revenue for government but also provide first-class recreational centre within the city of Accra.

The minister justified further the action by stating that illegal settlers were encroaching vast areas of the Achimota Forest with others constructing unauthorised roads where they use to dump waste materials leading to sharp reduction in the size of the forest from 500 to 360 hectares.

But government’s justification is what strengthened more Dr. Nduom’s disgust at the sale of the Achimota Forest.

“If there are encroachers what do you do? If it’s building that these encroachers have built in the forest, you break it down, you clear the forest of the waste and debris, sack those settlers are restore it to its original status.”

He, therefore, urged government to shelve the idea and make efforts possible to reclaim what has been illegally acquired and developed by encroachers.

He said “a society that cannot protect its water bodies, forests and its general environment cannot aspire to become civilised or achieve a high quality of life.”

This, he pointed out, was the reason why he will oppose whatever the so-called investors will put inside the forest.

“The Ridge Park has been destroyed with government officials in the lead. Now Achimota?” he quizzed.

The signing of the agreement comes in the face of strong opposition against such a move.

But government in justifying the deal said the forest was under serious threat from encroachers.