Ghanaian Times

Minister consoles vigilante?s family

The Minister of Lands and Forestry, Dr Chnristina Amoako-Nuama, has visited Tanomu in the Brong Ahafo Region and consoled the people on the recent murder of a vigilante teacher, Mr Kwasi Antwi, by a group of illegal timber operators, reports the Ghanaian Times in a front page story.

The paper says Dr Amoako-Nuama told the people that "we shall never let them (illegal timber operators) know peace, we shall clamp down on the chainsaw operators".

On July 9, this year, the Times carried a story that a group of illegal operators, unable to cope with the vigilance of a watchdog committee at Tanomu, near Chiraa, murdered the teacher, who is a member of the committee, set up to check illegal timber operations in the area.

According to the story the illegal operators ran over the deceased with a timber truck loaded with three logs, as he and his colleagues questioned one of the gangs at a barrier in the town.

The Times says Dr Amoako-Nuama emphasised that chainsaw operations has been effectively banned in the timber trade, and warned that those found to have violated the order, will be made to pay very prohibitive penalties, including heavy fines as well as face criminal prosecution.