Timber Contractors Appeal To Govt

Some aggrieved timber contractors from four regions in the country have appealed to President Kufuor, to as a matter of urgency institute a probe into what they term as dirty deals at the Ministry of Lands and Forestry and the Forestry Commission over the legislation of illegal teak operations in Government concessions.

They also called on the Ministry of Lands and Forestry and the Forestry Commission to stop granting further private plantation permits to individual timber companies in order to avoid the wanton felling of teak trees from Government concessions, which have been reserved for auctioning purposes over a year ago.

“Any attempt to delay their appeal will cost billions of cedis to the State in view of the alarming rate at which teak plantations in the Government concessions are being felled by some timber companies under the institution of the Ministry and the Commission,” they said.

Speaking to THE INDEPENDENT in Kumasi, the timber merchants from the Western, Eastern, Brong-Ahafo and the Ashanti Region respectively accused the sector Minister, Prof. Kassim Kassanga and some Directors of the Forestry Commission of being the brain behind the whole scandal.