-In Continuation Of Achimota Forest-Styled State Land Loot.
In the never-ending saga of the Akufo-Addo administration actively looting state lands, it has given over 409 acres of government land to the Ashantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
In a strange timing that smacks of a red herring in the wake of the systematic looting of the Achimota Forest lands by the Akufo-Addo government, the government says it has reserved 409.2 acres to the Asantehene through Executive Instrument 432.
The land includes the military barracks near the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
A directive to public institutions signed by the Chief Director of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council, Mrs. Emelia Ayebeng Botchway, on behalf of the Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, cited; “Executive Instrument 432 of 2021 by Government in respect of Redevelopment of Sector 18 of Kumasi, which was published in the Ghana Gazette on 31st December 2021.”
The directive said, government, “has re-vested and released a portion of the state land at the Ridge Residential Area in Kumasi to the Asantehene on behalf of and in trust of the Golden Stool”.
“The released portion with an area of 409.24 acres spans from the North-Western Section of the Military barracks near Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. The site is along the Bekwai road as its Western Boundary to the Santasi Round About, with the Southern By-Pass as the Southern Boundary. The land also lies towards Dakwodwom to the KCC/State Experimental School, along the Danyame Stream to the north, with the Cedar Road as the Eastern Boundary,” the directive said.
According to the statement, the re-vested land contains both privately-owned properties and state bungalows with the private landholders saddled with the burden of paying tenancy to the Asantehene.
“All leaseholders of private and public residential and other properties within the revested area are also to attorn tenancy to the Asantehene. This means annual ground rent has to be paid to the Golden Stool by all lessees with the coming into force of the Executive Instrument (E.I.) 432, with the Asantehene possessing the reversionary interest.”
The release is coming in the wake of the scandal in which officials of the Akufo-Addo government have been caught looting Achimota forest ecological reserved lands.
Among the looters are the late Kwadow Owusu Afriyie, alias Sir John, Akufo-Addo’s chief executive for the Forestry Commission who used his position to grab more than seven acres of the Achimota forest lands and more than 5 acres of Ramsar wetlands as well.
As the government’s claim that it had declassified the Achimota forest lands in order to return them to its allodial owners, a supposed faceless Owoo family, and the identity of the government is suddenly releasing lands to Otumfuor in a questionable move that could not have come at a worse time.
Questions are now being asked on social media as to whether the government will soon release Asogli lands to Togbe Afede XIV too and other traditional lands acquired for the state.