21/11/17
Assin north forestry commission led by Mr. Samuel Kyei has disclosed the problems the commission is facing when he was interviewed by the press man Emmanuel Kwaku Ahiaku.
He started by explaining the sundry functions of the forestry commission/ department.
According to Him, they do manage the forest, this is where they order the timber operators to enter the forest cut a certain trees in the forest. Every trees has a limitation so they do check when the tree is well grown then they allow the operators to cut them off.
Secondly, they also do protect the forest by giving boundaries around the forest so that No one enters the forest without been authorized by the commission.
Moreover, He said, they also do develop the forest, this is where they plant trees where necessary to do so.
He said, most farmers and landlords clear forest site for their farming activities but that shouldn't be the rightful way to do it, the best way is to come to come and inform the commission for them to come to the site and check neither there are economic trees at the site.
He then debunked the allegation that, some forest Guides collaborate with some chainsaw operators in Assin north and its environs to cut off trees in the surrounded forest.
Nevertheless, he said, in some forest site, they are to have not less than 10 forest Guides, but if you go there, you will see only two guides, even some places they don't have any guide at all. According to him, ever since he came to Assin, about 20 forest Guides, some are dead, others are on retirement but there haven't been any replacement. So in the first place, they are shot of men, (forest guides). They don't have enough guides to help them protect the forest. So the few that they have, have been loaded with so many duties. One guide taking care of four (4) district which is very bad.
He said, and I quote ''we are supposed to have 40 forest Guides but currently we have only 25, so are in need of 15 more guides, and apart from that, we do a lot of plantation, so for plantation side too we need not less than 10 officers" According to Mr Kyei, the forestry commission is facing a lot of challenges, Assin north to be precise.
When we are able to catch illegal operators, and handed them over to the police for feather investigation and production, it takes so much period before we get feedback, said Mr. Samuel Kyei. And when the police manage to process the person to court, the funds that the judges gives them are not detainment enough. Some judges even fund chainsaw operators as low as 200gh. Which is not enough, Mr. Kyei said.
Another challenge is that, some forest guides are not committed some are also aging guides, they are too old to do the work.
He added that, they do a lot of plantation, but they have only one old car, meanwhile, they supposed to have about 5 cars.
In His conclusion, He appealed to the government to come to their aid immediately to provide them with forest guides and cars, He again calls upon the judges and the police to go according to rules of the forestry commission he finally call upon the Chiefs in the various communities to assist them by reporting the illegal operators to them.
He finally gave a strong warning to the forest guides who have become intermediate between the commission and the illegal operators by feeding them with information when the commission is planning to embark on operation.
Story by: Emmanuel Kwaku Ahiaku.
0241473557.
U can also call me on same line for full voice of the interview.
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