The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor has said plans are afoot to upgrade the Achimota Forest, into a world class asset.

Addressing the press on Tuesday, the sector Minister emphasised that widespread reports about the supposed sale of the Forest are false and baseless, as government has no such plans.

According to him, the government "intends to enrich the Achimota forest, revamp it and hopefully in the not too distant future, transform it into the likes of High Park of London and Central Park of New York, where Ghanaians can go and enjoy the beauty of nature and forest reserve as it happens in other parts of the world".

He, therefore, urged the public to disregard any reports about the sale of the forest.

“So for the avoidance of doubt, neither President Akufo-Addo nor myself or his government intends to sell the Achimota forest or redevelop the Achimota forest as currently constituted,” he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, an eight-paged document was widely circulated on social media, which purported to mean that the classification of the Achimota Forest Reserve has been lifted to pave way for a possible redevelopment for other purposes.

The Executive Instrument gazetted on behalf of President Akufo-Addo by the Lands Minister Samuel Abdulai Jinapor stipulated that effective May 1, 2022, the land on which the Forest is located shall cease to be a forest reserve, pursuant to Section 19 of the Forest Act, 1927 (CAP. 157).

The cessation, per that document, was to be effective on May 1, 2022.

President Akufo-Addo also ordered the creation of a master plan for the development of the land by the District Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority.

The Authority was also tasked to take into consideration the protection of the ecological integrity of an adjoining forest reserve while preparing the master plan which would be approved by the Sector Minister.