The Assistant District Manager of Abuakwa South Forestry Commission, Mr. Sylvester Agyemang Prempeh has urged Ghanaians to treat it as a responsibility to protect Ghana’s forest reserves.
According to Mr. Agyemang Prempeh, the country’s forest reserves are national properties that have to be protected at all cost due to the benefits they offer especially in maintaining organic or natural ecosystem.
Speaking with a section of the Ghanaian youth committed to promoting the forest sustainability discourse known as Young Forests Champions, Mr. Prempeh said, it is not only the Forestry Commission that is solely responsible for protecting the country’s forest reserves but a general duty.
Mr. Prempeh asserted that most people remain in different with such duties with the view that it is the official duties of the commission which he believes is out of context.
As an assistant manager of the Atiwa and Apedwa forest reserves, Mr, Prempeh revealed how the activities of illegal mining, illegal logging, and illegal farming on forest reserves by perpetrators constantly pose threats and making it challenging for the commission to handle in isolation.
He said, perpetrators have caused their work to become more difficult as these culprits depend on the forests for their livelihoods. As such, officers of the commission in the quest of performing their duties are perceived to be “enemies” who are preventing them from subduing the forest for their daily bread. “it has become so challenging for us to deal with illegal mining, logging and farming. They penetrate through into the deeper areas of the forests and sometimes with deadly weapons which they can strike anytime..” one of our officers was seriously injured recently by these illegal people by way of doing his job.” he said.
Notwithstanding, Mr. Prempeh mentioned that some of the Kibi community members, Arocha Ghana, a Non-Governmental organization, Youth Employment Agency, Youth Forest Champions have been helping in patrolling and protecting the forest reserves.
The District Manager, Mr. Alfred Owusu, raised a concern that, aside the challenges of illegal activities, there is also a staff deficit to handle the large responsibilities that sit on their table. He emphasized that the two forests cover a large area which require a number of hands.
He said, mostly, the job rate compel management to deploy extra hands from outside and be paid daily workman compensation, which is a call on government to help bridge the staff deficit gap.
Mr. Agyeman Prempeh encouraged netizens not to just observe but corporate, and help in protecting the country’s forest reserves for today and posterity.
