Ajumako Owane Residents Vow to Resist Attempts to Sell Reserve Forest

Residents of Ajumako Owane in the Central y have vowed to resist any attempt by individuals to sell or dispose of what they describe as the community’s reserve forest.

The residents, led by the Assembly Member for Ajumako Owane, Hon. John Baidoo, together with opinion leaders and other concerned members of the community, say they will use all legitimate means available to protect the forest from being sold or cleared.

Addressing a press conference at Ajumako Owane, Hon. John Baidoo alleged that attempts to dispose of the forest began before he assumed office as Assembly Member.

According to him, he was at one point approached and asked to sign documents relating to the forest, with an amount of GH¢250 million allegedly involved in the transaction.

Hon. Baidoo said subsequent consultations and checks conducted by him had not established the existence of valid documentation proving ownership of the reserve forest by the individuals claiming it.

He therefore cautioned that anyone who produces documents purporting to establish private ownership of the reserve forest must be prepared to demonstrate their authenticity and legal validity.

The Assembly Member further alleged that four individuals claiming ownership of the forest had no authority to sell it, insisting that the land belongs to the family and should not be disposed of by individuals for personal benefit.

Hon. Baidoo disclosed that he had written to various relevant institutions and authorities seeking their intervention to prevent a contractor from entering the forest and undertaking clearing activities.

He appealed to the appropriate state agencies to investigate the matter thoroughly and take steps to protect the forest until the ownership and status of the land are properly established.

Former Ebusuapanyin Raises Concerns

Mr. Kwame Egyan, who served as an Ebusuapanyin of Twidan Number One in the 1970s, also expressed strong opposition to any attempt to dispose of the forest.

According to him, the community would not allow the chief and his brother, whom he identified as an Ebusuapanyin, to sell the forest and share the proceeds among themselves.

He maintained that the forest was a communal and family asset that should be protected for future generations rather than converted into private financial gain.

Other opinion leaders at the press conference also shared their accounts of the history and ownership of the forest, adding their voices to calls for the area to be protected.

The residents are therefore appealing to traditional authorities, the Mfantseman Municipal Assembly, the Forestry Commission and other relevant state institutions to intervene and ensure that no action is taken on the forest until the ownership and legal status of the land have been conclusively determined.

They stressed that the forest is an important community asset and should be preserved for the benefit of present and future generations.