Residents alarmed at destruction of forest reserve
Some concerned citizens of Gomoa Kweikrom have raised an alarm about the massive destruction of the forest reserve by some alleged illegal sand winners and timber contractors.
According to the residents, the swift intervention of the Ministry of Lands and Forestry, as well as the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, would stop those illegal sand winners and loggers whose activities were destroying the reserve.
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Addressing the media, Mr Kofi Mensah, a citizen of the town, said it was sad that all efforts made by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to fight against galamsey and the destruction of the environment by unscrupulous persons would hit a rock.
He added that it was outrageous for some illegal sand winners and loggers to carry out such destructive activities without reclaiming the land they destroyed.
Zeal
Mr Mensah, therefore, called on the government to use the same zeal and zest with which it fought against galamsey to deal with illegal sand winners and loggers to preserve the country’s forest reserves.
He noted that genuine timber contractors who had been granted permits and licence to operate and to reclaim the land and plant trees were, however, not allowed to operate in the reserve
Mr Mensah took newsmen round the forest to inspect the damage caused to the forest as a result of those illegal activities.
Intervention
Another resident, Mr Entsie, appealed to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), the National Security and President Akufo-Addo to intervene to salvage the forest as they did in the case of galamsey.
He said it was regrettable that Ghanaians, who paid taxes to the state for projects aimed at improving the quality of lives of the people, were not allowed to operate.
Mr Entsie expressed confidence that the state security agencies and the Presidency would not rest on their oars to tackle illegal sand winning and logging by some people for their parochial interests.
GNA