The late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie aka Sir John
There is no record of land ownership by the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly called Sir John, at the Achimota Forest or the Sakumono Ramsar Site.
According to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, checks at the Lands and Forestry Commissions, on the repositories of the files of the lands in question showed no ownership records.
“Further checks, show no record of ownership of Lands at the Achimota Forest or the Sakumono Ramsar Site, by the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie,” a statement signed by the sector minister, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor indicated.
The minister stated that preliminary inquiries also showed the alleged will in question is a subject matter of litigation/contestation in the courts, and thus directed the Lands and Forestry Commissions to deem the ownership of the lands in question, void.
“That said, given the totality of the circumstances of the said allegations, I, as Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, have directed the Lands and Forestry Commissions to deem any ownership of lands, both, in the Achimota Forest and the Sakumono Ramsar Site by the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie as void and are to take the appropriate actions accordingly,” he said.
Mr. Jinapor opined that the bequeathing of the aforesaid lands, if established, will not pass any interest/title to the named beneficiaries in the alleged will.
“These lands, the subject matter of the alleged will, shall remain Public Lands, whether or not it falls within the de-gazetted lands pursuant to E.I 144. Government will act on any improper acquisition of any Public Lands, regardless of how it was procured, whether now or in the past, and the Achimota Forest Lands will not be an exception,” he said.
A purported copy of the will of the late Sir John, former CEO of the Forestry Commission, has been widely circulated after it was released by the Fourth Estate, in which he is believed to have bequeathed lands in the Achimota Forest and the Ramsar Site at Sakumono to some relatives.
The development sparked anger among Ghanaians, who expressed their disappointment over land grabs by government appointees.
The revelations in his will come at a time the government is giving portions of the Achimota Forest land supposedly to its original owners, the Owoo family.
Amidst the public outrage about Sir John’s supposed will, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources says it intends to initiate a process of an independent audit on the specific issue of the acreage de-gazetted, and will act accordingly in the public interest, should that become necessary.
“The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is committed to the protection, proper management and utilisation of the lands and natural resources of our country. Government will act on any improper acquisition of public lands, regardless of how it was procured, whether now or in the past, and the Achimota Forest Lands will not be an exception,” it said.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri