The Ghana Institute of Foresters calls on the Government to, as a matter of urgency, withdraw E.I. 144 that de-reserved portion of the Achimota Forest Reserve. There are ways to generate revenues from the forest while maintaining its ecological integrity. The Eco-park idea is one. Let us seriously explore such avenues to generate revenues from the forest, from which royalties can be paid to the owners so that it becomes a win for every interest in the land – the owners, Accra’s air quality, public space for leisure and other activities, ecotourism, biodiversity conservation, Ghana as a nation and indeed the world at large. As a nation, posterity will judge us all if we allow the private interests of few actors to override the common public interests in the Achimota forest.
In the wake of the public outcry following the Government’s de-reservation of a portion of the Achimota Forest Reserve through an Executive Instrument (E.I. 144), the Ghana Institute of Foresters (GIF) wishes to draw attention to a bigger problem facing Ghana’s urban forests and why we should all be concerned.