Roundabout to be named after Sir John

The Executive Management Team of the Forestry Commission has approved that the Roundabout in front of the Forestry Commission’s Head Office in Accra be named after Mr Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly known as Sir John, a former Chief Executive Officer of the Commission who died in July this year.

The Team has instructed that the Roundabout be refurbished and Christened, “Sir John Roundabout.” Preliminary works on the project has already began.

This was disclosed by the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Commission, Mr John M. Allotey during an interaction with the media at an end of year event organized by the Forestry Commission in Accra on Wednesday, December 23, 2020.   

Mr Allotey announced, “The Executive Management Team of the Forestry Commission has approved that the roundabout in front of the Forestry Commission should be refurbished and the Bust of  the Former Chief Executive officer of  the Forestry Commission be placed in the middle to befit his status and the roundabout will be named, Sir John Roundabout.”

He explained, “We hope that will construct a platform of about the hip level then we will be able to mount the Bust on the platform.” 

The reasoning, according to the CEO, is to ensure that anybody who enters the Forestry Commission long after some of them who can tell the story have left the scene, there will still be some history behind Sir John’s achievement as a former CEO of the Commission.

Describing Sir John as the Peoples Man, Mr allotey said  he was  privileged to have had the  opportunity to work with him, and  that , he and  his colleagues at the Commission  have  learned a lot from the former CEO who was also a former General Secretary of New Patriotic Party(NPP).

Regarding Sir John’s burial and funeral arrangement, Mr Allotey indicated that the Commission does not have the exact details.  However, he assured that when the commission receives any information from the family, it will be communicated to the staff.  

“We also know that, as has been mentioned, we don’t have the exact details of the burial and funeral arrangement. The family will communicate that in due course,” he added.

In March 2017, President Nana Akuffo-Addo appointed Sir John as CEO of the Forestry Commission. He replaced Samuel Afari Dartey, whose term as the CEO had ended. His appointment was surprising to many Ghanaians because of many rumours that he was linked to the position of head of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority.

That position was given to Paul Asare Ansah. Afriyie later revealed that the rumours were true but he had rejected the appointment due to his fear of the sea. He thanked the president for the Forestry Commission appointment and believed that since he hailed from the forest zone of Ghana, he would be able to have a greater impact in that area.

As CEO of the Forestry Commission, Sir John’s job was to oversee the various public agencies that form the divisions of the Commission. His first assignment as head of the commission was to supervise the celebration of World Forest Day which fell on 21 March 2017.

By Mohammed Suleman