Sokoban Wood Village Is One
Wood workers at the Sokoban Wood Village have celebrated the first anniversary of their relocation to the village with a call on the government to provide training opportunities, which would attract the youth into the carpentry business.
They said such help would enable them use state-of-art technology, a development that would help them improve the stiff competition in the industry.
Meanwhile, the wood workers have renewed their appeal to the government to provide them with more sheds and operational space to finalise the resettlement exercise.
Addressing a durbar at the village to mark the anniversary, the chairman of the group Rev. Mawufeame Fugah noted with concern that though a large percentage of the wood workers had moved to village, some remained at the old site and asked the government to compel all to relocate to the village.
The durbar, which was attended by chiefs, ministers of state and stakeholders in the industry, was on the theme, “Sustaining The Forest Through Strategic Management”.
Rev. Fugah mentioned one of the challenges they faced after relocating to the wood village as insufficient supply of timber on the local market.
This, he said was as a result of the lack of enforcement of the law that enjoined timber firms to allocate 20 per cent of their produce to the local market.
In spite of these challenges, he expressed the group’s appreciation to the government for the support they had been given so far.
Transport Minister, Joe Gidisu in his address announced that a Community Development Fund (CDF) has been set up to support business activities at the Sokoban Wood Village.
The French Agency for Development (AFD) has provided a 500,000 (euros) seed money for the fund. The Minister said the fund would be used to promote business activities at the wood village, maintain the facilities as well as use part for infrastructural development.
Already, Mr Gidisu announced that a quarter of the fund had been released to be used specifically for promotional activities.
The minister told the gathering that the government was committed to promoting the welfare of the resettled wood workers and wanted them to adjust to the new environment through various support schemes.
He was particular about good maintenance which he said, was key to sustaining vestment and therefore, urged the workers and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to do periodic maintenance of the facility.
Mr Gidisu noted that the relocation of the Anloga wood workers had easily facilitated the continuation of the Inner Ring Road Project in the city, adding that the development had brought a great relief to all who are keen on the successful completion of that project.
He therefore, expressed government’s appreciation for the maturity exhibited by the leadership of the wood workers and the members in general, during the period of their relocation.
The KMA Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Sarpong, asked all the wood workers to ensure the prompt payment of their taxes.