{"id":1102707,"date":"2022-05-28T19:58:21","date_gmt":"2022-05-28T19:58:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/05\/28\/sir-johns-alleged-property-at-achimota-forest-and-ramsar-site-will-be-returned-to-the-state-abu-jinapor\/"},"modified":"2022-05-28T19:58:21","modified_gmt":"2022-05-28T19:58:21","slug":"sir-johns-alleged-property-at-achimota-forest-and-ramsar-site-will-be-returned-to-the-state-abu-jinapor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/05\/28\/sir-johns-alleged-property-at-achimota-forest-and-ramsar-site-will-be-returned-to-the-state-abu-jinapor\/","title":{"rendered":"Sir John\u2019s alleged property at Achimota forest and Ramsar site will be returned to the state \u2013 Abu Jinapor"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Late
Late Sir John warned chiefs against selling the Ramsar lands he willed to his sisters
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The Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, says lands which form part of the Achimota forest and the Ramsar site at Sakumono purported to belong to the late CEO of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly known as Sir John will be returned to the state.<\/p>\n

He noted that given the circumstances, any transaction which supposedly took place and led to the acquisition of the land by the then CEO of the Forestry Commission is void.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe totality of the circumstances of this matter will mean that whatever transaction which was supposed to have taken place and these properties which are supposed to be part of the estate of Sir John cannot stand,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

ALSO:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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He, therefore, maintained that both the Achimota forest and the Ramsar site will continue to be the property of the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Constitution makes the President the trustee of public lands in Ghana and [as such] he is the manager of public lands in Ghana. And I as the Minister have delegated powers to manage the public lands of our country.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have written letters to the Lands Commission and Forestry Commission in this regard so those properties will revert to the state,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He was speaking on Saturday, May 28 on\u00a0JoyNews\u2019 Newsfile<\/strong>\u00a0in relation to the brouhaha surrounding the declassification of parts of the Achimota Forest Reserve and the subsequent saga that has unfolded after portions of the Reserve were discovered bequeathed to beneficiaries in the will of Sir John.<\/p>\n

\"Sir
The Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While assuring the public that efforts have already been initiated to ensure that the properties are returned to the state, he reiterated the President\u2019s commitment to safeguarding the country\u2019s natural resources.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe good news is that the President has absolutely committed to ensuring that we manage these resources responsibly, effectively and with integrity which is really good.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am also particularly encouraged with the kind of examination, interrogation and public discourse which has greeted this intervention, and I think that it\u2019s all in the interest of our democracy and also the public good.\u201d<\/p>\n

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