The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is losing thousands of acres of its lands to encroachers, depriving the institution of assets that could generate millions of dollars to support scientific research and innovation.
Dr. Daniel Asenso-Gyambibi, Dean of Directors of the CSIR and Director of the Building and Roads Research Institute (BRRI), said the situation required urgent intervention from the government, Lands Commission and other relevant institutions to reclaim and protect the lands.
Speaking at the 11th Biennial Conference of the CSIR Senior Staff Association at Bunso in the Eastern Region, held on the theme, “Strengthening the Backbone of CSIR: The Critical Role of Senior Staff in Sustaining Science, Technology and Innovation,” he said the Animal Research Institute, which started with more than 1,100 acres, now had only about 200 acres remaining.
He said the Institute of Industrial Research at Isilegon had also lost a substantial portion of its original 450 acres and was now left with only 33 acres, while the CSIR Head Office at the Airport Enclave, which used to have about 81 acres, now had approximately 50 acres.
Dr. Asenso-Gyambibi said given that an acre of land at the Accra location was valued at about $2 million, the lands lost could have generated about $60 million for the CSIR if they had been properly transformed into economic assets.
He further cited the CSIR facility at Enyinase, which had more than 800 acres, saying about half of the land had been lost. In Kumasi, he said, the CSIR had 1,441 acres, but about 750 acres had been taken without the institution deriving any economic value from them.
He said the situation was critical and called for a collective effort by the CSIR, Lands Commission and government to halt further encroachment and reclaim the lands.
“Chiefs are encroaching, individuals are encroaching,” he said, adding that there had also been forced takeovers of some CSIR lands, which needed to be addressed.
Dr. Asenso-Gyambibi said the CSIR could not independently deal with the situation because the lands belonged to the government, stressing that management needed the government’s express approval to act.
He also appealed for greater investment in science and technology, citing the inability of the BRRI to secure funding for more than five years to establish an advanced asphalt and bitumen laboratory.
The National President of the CSIR Senior Staff Association, Mr Edward Kissi, said science, technology and innovation remained indispensable to national development and that senior staff played critical roles in research, administration, technical services, laboratory operations and knowledge transfer.
He called for sustained investment in professional development, adequate resources, motivation and career progression to enable senior staff to contribute effectively to the CSIR’s mandate.
The National President also appealed to management to review concerns surrounding the promotion structure and assessment process, saying constructive dialogue was needed to find practical and sustainable solutions.
For his part, the Director of CSIR Plant Genetic Resources, Dr Daniel Ashie Kortey, described senior staff as the backbone of CSIR, noting that their experience and institutional knowledge were essential to sustaining research, innovation and operations.
He identified staff attrition, an ageing workforce, skills gaps, limited career progression and funding constraints as major challenges affecting senior staff.
He called for deliberate mentoring, documentation, succession planning and training in emerging technologies to preserve institutional knowledge and prepare younger professionals for the future.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Bunso
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