Sir John talking to some skakeholders on the encroached land
The management of the Forestry Commission, board members and some armed cops led by the Klagon District Police Commander descended upon the encroached land of the Commission last Tuesday.
Leading the charge was the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie aka Sir John, who gave assurance that a decision regarding the encroached land would soon be taken.
He said: “We are not here to fight anybody but seek an amicable solution to the challenge posed by the encroachment”.
However, his body language suggested that structures already put up might escape demolition. He said he would engage with the various stakeholders including the chiefs, some of whom were part of the team that stormed the location.
He was quick to add that the Commission would not tolerate further encroachment beyond the last building on the encroached space.
A swarm of land guards who appeared to welcome the team warmly concealed their revulsion as they freely showered praises on Sir John who chose the diplomatic path in addressing the thorny subject of land encroachment.
The land guards were excited that, after all, the Forestry Commission told the MCE and others to employ them and this is a sure way of getting them off their current occupation.
At a point, one of the officials of the Commission asked the district commander whether he was tasked to stop further encroachment (the first border of encroachment) to which he answered in the affirmative. He stood helpless unable to tell why he was unable to stop the encroachment thus underlying the fact of the enormous challenge in enforcing the law in that direction.
It was established that some of the encroachers were top government officials in the previous political administration; it makes one wonder whether there was a genuine commitment to protect state lands.
The Deputy CEO of the Forestry Commission John Allotey told DAILY GUIDE that the land is earmarked for development into massive ecotourism project. The land whose objective is intended to ensure maintenance of its biodiversity is being threatened by the encroachment.
Earlier, Sir John had said that when the project was completed its importance would be appreciated by all especially those who had been unhelpful in protecting the land.
Six hundred and twenty (620) acres of some 13,620 hectares of land belonging to the Forestry Commission have been encroached upon leaving, as it were, management of state agency befuddled.
By A.R. Gomda