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The Owoo Family have expressed their displeasure about the ongoing debate on the release of the ‘contentious’ 136 acres of peripheral portions of the Achimota Forest to them.
In a statement, the family said they have “suffered grave historical injustice” regarding all the land acquired in 1921 and 1927 for the Achimota School.
According to the family, they reluctantly wish to set the records straight despite their initial decision to abstain from the public discourse.
The Owoo Family indicated that they have had to, in the past, accept and/or acquiesce to terms to enable it move on which it strongly believes have been unfair and unjust.
Read also – Return Achimota land to rightful owners; not Owoo Family – Osu Traditional Council
The Owoo Family also denied receiving compensation for the 1927 acquisition of their land.
They added that no land has been released to them despite petitioning all governments in the Fourth Republic.
“The much-talked-about 19th August 2016 ceremony, which has been erroneously stated in the public as an occasion when land was released to the Owoo family, is false and misleading. That ceremony was a sod-cutting ceremony for the development of the Achimota Forest into an Eco-Tourism park. The Owoo Family were mere invitees/guests”, the statement read.
It mentioned further that “the acreage due the Owoo family was arrived at through a long-standing negotiation which, in many respects, predates the current administration. This was done with the active involvement of various State technical negotiators and agencies.”
While entreating the public to disregard misleading information on the subject, the Owoo Family pledged not to compromise the ecological integrity of the adjoining forest reserve.
The statement was signed by principal elders of the Owoo Family including; John Kwartey Nee Owoo, Francis Kwatei Nee Owoo and Nii Kwate Owoo.
Meanwhile, the Osu Traditional Council is claiming ownership of the ‘disputed’ land.
According to a spokesperson of the Osu Stool, Nii O.T. Ankrah, the forest “perfectly” belongs to the Osu Stool.
“The Owoo Family is from Ga Mashie; they cannot come from Ga Mashie and come into the bosom of someone’s land and say that land belongs to them.”
