A Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources; Benito Owusu Bio has challenged the former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Inusah Fuseini to back his claims of payment of compensation for compulsory acquisition of Achimota forest lands in Accra by the colonial master.
He negated the former minister’s assertion that an amount of 4,000 pounds was paid to the Owoo family of Osu in 1921 and 1927.
The Deputy Minister who is also the Member of Parliament for Atwima Nwabiagya North Constituency in the Ashanti Region threw this challenge to the Inusah Fuseini on Accra 100.5 FM’s midday news after a tour of the Achimota forest to ascertain the levels of encroachment of the reserved land on Thursday, May 19, 2022.
According to him, there is a need for the former Minister to do the needful by backing his claims of payment of compensation to the Owoo family with hard documents.
“As far as I am concerned, no compensation was paid to the Owoo family as a result of the compulsory acquisition of the said land,” Mr Owusu-Bio said.
He reminded Inusah Fuseini that there is no record indicating the payment of compensation to the family adding that the family deserved to be compensated for being the pre-acquisition owners after all these years.
He assured Ghanaians that the forest and its fauna, as well as trees, will be preserved
