Forest Officers Under Attack By Chainsaw Operators

Personnel of the Forestry Commission say they have become targets of persistent attacks by over 50 armed groups engaged in illegal logging in forest reserves in the Western Region.

A joint military and Forestry Commission task force currently in the Western Region says six of such incidents occurred recently in the Juaboso Forest District.

The members say they are prepared to confront the perpetrators head on.

It comes after 37 illegal sawmills were last week destroyed in a special exercise code-named “Operation Halt.”

About 20,000 pieces of sawn timber, as well as other equipment, have also been seized in the Sui, Tano Suhyen, Muro and Krokosua reserves.

The exercise, which is in its second week, is in response to the wanton destruction of the forest through illegal farming, lumbering, among others, and it is said to have reached an unbearable level.

Forestry officials in affected areas are largely helpless as they come under constant attack by the plunders.

Such attacks have been recorded in Asawinso, Kojina, Abuom, Sayerano and Asiamakrom.

Some have suffered gunshot and machete wounds while others have been reduced to captives by rampaging loggers who go to the extent of stripping them naked in public with impunity.

"Forest guards are being beaten virtually every day. You can't just come here as a forest officer; you would be beaten. We have a clear case of illegal operators beating forest guards, beating range supervisors. To some extent, some of our people have been killed. Some of them have been stripped naked," Juaboso District Forestry Manager, Abdallah Seidu Ali said.

The 180-member taskforce, aided by two helicopters, have been undertaking ground and air operations.

Four chainsaw operators caught together with a man described as a kingpin of the armed gangs, have been arrested while four others are being pursued.

Officer in charge of the operation, Charles Owusu, however, says the era where plunders attack forestry staff is over.

"Gone are the days that we used to have Anaba; we used to have Isaaka 11 and other people who were causing mayhem. They were using cutlasses, guns to deter our staff from carrying on their legal duties. The signal is clear that this time, we will come after them," he warned.

The ongoing operation in the Western Region alone will cost the Forestry Commission about GHȼ200,000 but Mr. Owusu says the Commission will flush out the miscreants regardless of the cost.

"We shall come after them. It doesn't matter how much it will cost us. We have been mandated by law to protect the forest and that's what we are going to do," he added.