Community appeals against timber felling

Nkatenkwan (E/R), May 11, GNA - The indiscriminate felling of timber at Abomina Nkatenkwan in the Suhum Kraboa Coaltar District, has resulted in the collapse of two houses and the destruction of 63 cocoa farms. Making an appeal through the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after conducting newsmen to inspect the extent of damage caused on Monday, the opinion leaders of Nkatenkwan threatened mayhem and bloodshed should the practice of felling timber in their farms continued.

Baffour Osei Ntiful, Odikro (Chief) of the village, also the Chairman of the Unit Committee of the District Assembly and Mr Kwame Ntow, former assembly member for the area, said the poor farmers would not sit unconcern for their source of livelihood to be destroyed. They accused one Mr Kwabena Owusu, a contractor, of leading 11-member team of chainsaw operators to invade the community by felling timber indiscriminately in their farms without prior notice thereby destroying large quantity of foodstuffs and other cash-crops. When asked about his action, Mr Owusu told the community that government had given him a licence to do so but he could not produce any document as evidence.

When the community elders put pressure on him to stop his actions he threatened to arrest them. Baffour Ntiful said at a stage, Mr Owusu took offence and together with his chainsaw operators, they attacked farmers, beat them up in order to pave way for their diabolical agenda, which in the end destroyed the 63 cocoa farms and the collapse of the two houses. When contacted on the issue, however, Mr Owusu denied any involvement in the destruction of farms in the area. He said he was a licensed timber contractor and had nothing to do with chainsaw operators. He added that the entire issue was one of deliberate misinformation which he suspected was being master-minded by Mr Kwame Ntow. 11 May 10