Illegal chain saw operators destroying forest resources(centre spread) February 9, 2009

Story:Michael Donkor
ACTIVITIES of illegal chain -saw operators are destroying the country’s forest at an alarming rate causing the government to lose millions of Ghana cedis.
The Forestry Commission (FC), has therefore appealed to the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), to provide them with soldiers to check illegal lumbering.
A letter written and signed by the Head of Operations of the Forestry Commission, Mr A.A Boadu, to the Ghana Armed Forces, which was sighted by the Daily Graphic said “following the suspension of the National Task Force Team, which undertook an exercise code named; ‘Operation Halt”, to check illegal lumbering, the chain saw operators have had a field day and were plundering the country’s forests”.
Among the areas that illegal lumbering was being done included the natural high forest zones in the south-western and southern regions of the country.
The letter said these operators were normally armed to the teeth and carried out most of their activities in the night.
It also said their officers were helpless without the presence of the military.
It, therefore, appealed to the military to provide the Forestry Commission with security to effectively check illegal lumbering.
The military and officials of the Forestry Commission formed a task force somewhere last year, known as “Operation Halt”, to check illegal lumbering but the soldiers were called for other duties on December 24, 2008, during the general election which resulted in its collapse.
When the General Officer Commanding the Southern Command, Brig-Gen. Emmanuel Okyere, was contacted, he confirmed that the operation had been suspended because the personnel were needed to beef up security and peace during the December general elections.
Brig-Gen. Okyere said now that the elections were over and the Forestry Commission was requesting for the operation to be started, their request would be forwarded to the army headquarters for action.
He explained that the Forestry Commission was responsible for the cost of operations and that once they were prepared to start the operations the military would work that.