The illegal lumber, which were sourced from the Goamu and Ntotroso areas, according to Anthony Adjei, may be distributed for use by uncompleted educational facilities and self-help projects in the district.

Anthony Agyei, who spoke to Citi News after effecting the arrest, bemoaned the activities of illegal loggers, saying they were fast depleting the forest and vegetative cover of the Goamu and Ntotroso areas of the district.

He thus pledged to institute measures to protect the area’s forest reserves to ensure the President’s vision of protecting the country’s vegetative cover is realized.

Mr. Agyei said due to the bad roads and inefficient communication service in the remote areas of the district, the illegal loggers had resorted to engaging in their illegal act at night, a situation he lamented was making it difficult to arrest them.

The District Commander of Police, DSP Teddy Damptey Brown, warned that his outfit will prosecute any individual or group of persons who fell trees in the forest without authorization from the Forestry Commission.

He said the arrest was based on a tip off, and therefore appealed to residents of affected areas to collaborate with police by providing them with useful information.

The Assembly member for the Jericho electoral area who doubles as the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Constituency Chairman for the Asutifi North, and facilitated the arrest, commended community members for providing the information leading to the arrest.

He said illegal lumbering was greatly depleting forest reserves in the Goamu area, and pledged not to sit unconcerned for some greedy individuals to put the lives of residents of the area in danger.

Illegal lumbering has assumed an alarming level in the region’s forest reserves lately, especially in the Kintampo North, Asutifi North, Tano North and South, and Tain districts.

The practice, coupled with illegal mining in the area, is greatly destroying farmlands and polluting water bodies.

Early this week, a galamsey pit in the area caved in, leaving one dead, with several others believed to have been trapped.

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By: Mashoud Kombat/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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“…what is even more painful is the reason that they gave for boycotting it,” said a Deputy Information and Media Relations Minister, Felix Kwakye-Ofosu.

The Chairman of the NPP, Paul Afoko, on Monday officially announced the decision by the party to boycott the National Economic Forum.

Explaining the reasons for the boycott, Mr. Afoko stated that government did not give ample time for participants to adequately prepare for the forum; thus no meaningful discussion can take place.

He also described the forum as PR gimmick calculated to keep the people of Ghana in the dark about the real state of the economy.

Mr. Afoko also mentioned that the party has been informed that government has already adopted a set of reforms scheduled to take place between 2014 and 2017 which has been communicated in a policy document to the IMF.

He therefore questioned the rationale for convening a National Economic Forum when government has already adopted a set of policies and has already submitted proposals to the IMF.

In response however, Mr. Kwakye-Ofosu pointed out that a party which claims it is committed to the development of the nation “will not make such an excuse.”

He disclosed that all other invited organizations and personalities have  confirmed their participation although they all received their letters the same time as the NPP.

The Deputy Minister stated if the NPP’s boycott is based on the purported policy document submitted to the IMF on Ghana’s economy,  “then they would have done so on the basis of speculation and not fact.”

According to him, it is normal practice for member countries to update the IMF on a regular basis on processes being put in place to resolve economic issues.

He maintained that it is imperative for government to build a national consensus on key policy decisions hence; the organization of the National Economic Forum.

Mr. Kwakye-Ofosu recalled that during the Kufuor administration, a similar forum was organized and all stakeholders made the effort to attend “and so it is surprising that when other governments come to do the same thing, the NPP will be making these excuses.”

The National Economic Forum is aimed at bringing together all stakeholders to deliberate and proffer solutions to tackle the country’s economic difficulties.

It is slated for Tuesday, May 13 to Friday, May 16 at Akosombo is Eastern Region.

By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @osamidan

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