The Chief Director of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Patrick Agbesin says the Forestry Commission has intensified its monitoring and patrol activities in hot-spot areas.
This is due to the continuous illegal harvesting of Rosewood and other wood products.
These developments are as a result of the seizure of haulage of illegal rosewood and other wood products which are “currently parked at the Achimota Depot of the Forestry Commission waiting for punitive measures to be taken.”
Also, the Forestry Commission “will impound any truck(s) conveying Rosewood and other wood products which have been illegally harvested”, Pro Agbesin outlined in a statement.
He applauded the Forestry Commission and community leaders for their collaborative effort in clamping down on these activities.
The Ministry says it will not yield to petitions to lift the ban so as to “evacuate supposedly abandoned and lying Rosewood logs”.
“The Ministry wishes to inform these petitioners that their request cannot be granted. Lifting of the ban is not envisaged anytime soon in view of the uncontrolled destruction of the fragile ecosystem from where Rosewood is largely sourced.”, it declared.
MINISTRY OF LANDS AND NATURAL RESOURCES
PRESS RELEASE
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has noticed that in spite of the ban placed on the harvesting, transporting and export of Rosewood since 2018, some unscrupulous persons took advantage of the Christmas festivities to engage in the illegal harvesting and haulage of Rosewood. This has culminated into several truckloads of Rosewood and other wood products that have been intercepted and currently parked at the Achimota Depot of the Forestry Commission waiting for punitive measures to be taken.
The Ministry hereby wishes to remind the general public that:
generations and their communities with richer, better, more valuable forest and wildlife endowments than we inherited.
ISSUED AND SIGNED BY:
PROF. PAT ICK ESINYALE
CHIEF DIRECTOR,
MINISTRY OF LANDS AND NATURAL RESOURCES
21 ST JANUARY, 2021
Source: citifmonline.com