The Member of Parliament for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini, has condemned the government’s handling of afforestation efforts and the recent reclassification of the Achimota Forest.
Suhuyini, who also serves as the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Lands Committee, criticized the government’s allocation of over GHC421 million to afforestation programs, claiming there are no tangible results to show for it.
In an interview with Caleb Kudah on Citi Breakfast Show on Citi FM, Suhuyini remarked, “The government has spent some GH¢421 million on national afforestation programmes and that is aside from the Green Ghana Day and all of these are aimed at improving our forest cover, yet we have this same government declassifying the Achimota Forest.”
He expressed concerns about the decision to reclassify part of the Achimota Forest for commercial and residential purposes through Executive Instrument 144.
“Turning 361 acres of land into the concrete jungle and yet we cannot point to any forest the government has created since spending all the GH¢421 million on afforestation programmes,” Suhuyini stated. “This forest has been created way before we were born, and we are fixated at destroying it.”
Suhuyini stressed the critical need to preserve the Achimota Forest, highlighting its role in improving air quality in the heavily polluted city of Accra.
He revealed plans for his committee to visit the forest to confirm claims about land being demarcated for the Owoo family.
“Everything that we can do to save the forest, we must do. We cannot allow ourselves to be poisoned because the Achimota Forest saves and filters our air,” Suhuyini concluded.
tigpost.co
