[ 2016-07-21 ]

Gov’t authorised ‘illegal’ felling of Rosewood – NPP
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has
alleged that the government issued permits to some
companies to cut Rosewood trees in some districts
in the Northern part of the country.

Government banned the felling, harvesting and
exportation of rosewood in the country back in
2014, citing the “abuse of permits granted some
loggers to harvest rosewood in the catchment area
of the Bui dam” as the reason for the imposition
of the ban


However, according to a Deputy Communications
Director of the NPP, Anthony Karbo, the party has
some documents which suggest that the Ministry of
Lands and Natural Resources had contracted 13
companies to fell the Rosewood for exportation.

“There’s a lot going on with SADA which the
media is not averse to. It is important that we
take the opportunity to raise these issues. It is
clear that the Ministry of Lands and Forestry has
given authorization to some 13 companies to engage
in illegal felling of rosewood trees of which a
40-footer container of rosewood trees cost 50
thousand dollars,” Anthony Karbo said on
Eyewitness News

According to him, the move by the Ministry
contravened the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
administration’s Savannah Accelerated
Development Authority (SADA) project, which is
aimed at protecting the vegetation in the north of
the country.

“In three districts in the Northern Region;
Sissala West, Sissala East and Wa East for
instance, over 10 thousand containers have been
exported at the expense of the district, the
chiefs and farmland.

This runs contrary to the entire SADA vision of
afforestation and green moth where government sunk
some Ghc32 million in tree planting exercises
which we saw very little about.

” “There is no legal regime in this country
surrounding the felling of rosewood trees. The
government has no business allowing these illegal
companies to go ahead destroying the vegetation
already in the Savannah areas where the ecology is
challenged.

They have no business whatsoever selling these
trees in an area that is close to the Savannah and
almost entering the Sahel where the government
itself anchored its vision on accelerated
development.

What does any company have to do with felling
trees in an area where government is sinking money
into planting programs that haven’t been
successful?” He stated that, the people in the
affected areas had complained about the situation
to the President during his ‘Accounting to the
People’ tour, but had not received any help.

“The districts in which these trees are being
felled are not benefiting whatsoever. The chiefs
have had cause to complain to the President but
nothing has happened. The destruction is going on
and the communities are up in arms with these
companies.”

No felling of Rosewood trees

But the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural
Resources, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has denied the
allegations leveled against his Ministry.

He explained that the Ministry had only contracted
some companies to process the Rosewood that had
been cut prior to the ban, but rejected the claims
that those companies were felling trees.

“Before the economic importance of rosewood was
realised in this country, people were cutting it
for charcoal. At a point in time we realised that
the cutting of Rosewood was becoming rampant so
government placed a ban on it. Before the ban,
people had already got some wood,” he stated on
Eyewitness News

“The Ministry issued letters to some specific
companies to process the wood that had been cut
and not cut any fresh or standing Rosewood. I
would challenge anyone on any day who says they
have seen a letter stating categorically that
somebody was authorised to cut fresh Rosewood in
this country.”

Source - citifmonline.com

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