Part of the destroyed forest in the reserve
CONCERNED CITIZENS of Gomoa Kweikrom in the Central Region have raised alarm about the massive destruction of their forest reserves by some sand winners and timber contractors.
The residents have therefore called on the Ministry of Lands and Forestry, the Ministry of Environment and Science and also the Ghana Police to intervene, to help check such illegal activities that were fast depleting their forest reserves.
Addressing the media, Kofi Mensah, a citizen of the town, said it was sad that despite the efforts made by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to fight ‘galamsey’ and stop the destruction of the environment by unscrupulous persons, people were still perpetrating such ills.
He said it was also outrageous for illegal sand winners associations to involve themselves in such nefarious activities with the collusion of some timber contractors who had no measures in place to reclaim the lands.
Mr Mensah said genuine contractors who had been granted permits and licences to operate but did not have land reclamation and afforestation plans should not be allowed to work.
An inspection around the sand winning sites and destroyed forests led by Mr Mensah revealed the extent of damage to the environment.
Kobena Entsie expressed disgust at the rate at which some contractors who have been granted permits are allegedly allowing illegal sand winners to enter the forest reserves and cause damage.
Mr Entsie appealed to the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI), National Security Minister, and President Nana Akufo-Addo to intervene to salvage state properties.
He said it is regrettable that certain Ghanaians who pay taxes to the state for developmental programes such as free SHS, building of hospitals, construction of roads, funding of NHIS, GETFUND and other statutory payments government uses to improve living standards of the people are not allowed to operate.
BY Samuel Boadi