The minister, Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh (in green) and Nanaom of Bomaah inspect some of the lumber
YOUTH IN Bomaa, a forestry community in Tano North District of the Brong Ahafo Region have seized quantities of lumber from illegal chainsaw operators who operate clandestinely deep in two forest reserves in the area.
The illegal operators, according to the residents, have been operating in the Bosomkese and Apelepey Forest Reserves mostly in the night, fully armed. The operators were suspected to have come from Techiman, Duayaw-Nkwanta, Chiraa and other surrounding communities.
According to the youth, the district forestry commission is helpless because the illegal operators were better armed and ready to face the forestry taskforce.
The youth of Bomaa, consequently, mobilized themselves and waited at the entrance of the forest and seized all the lumbers the illegal operators were conveying in trucks out of the forest.
They were, however, unable to state the exact number of lumber that were seized from the operators and the number of operators involved. The regional minister Kwaku Asomah-Cheremey was later invited to inspect the wood and decides what to do with them. The youth asked the minister to provide them with security to be able to enter the forest and face the illegal chainsaw operators saying there are more of the lumber in the forest
The Minister was full of praise for Nananom and the youth for their effort.
He advised that the seized lumber be divided into three; one part given to the community to be used for communal projects, another one to be given to the Tano North District Assembly for school projects in the district whilst the last one goes to the Ghana Regional Library Authority to be used in roofing the uncompleted regional library building. The Minister also gave the youth GH¢ 2,000 cash for their temerity.
FROM Daniel Y Dayee, Bomaa