Deals in Timber Industry Exposed

....While NPP assures idle youth of jobs

Complaints registered at the Forestry Services Division (FSD) indicate that some Community Forest Committee (CFCs) members have constituted themselves into foresters and are issuing permits to timber merchants to fell trees in the Eastern Region.

It is also alleged that they have taken the laws into their own hands, turned themselves into police officers and are using force to intimidate people, as try people in their own kangaroo courts of law and punishing them.

All CFC members who are indulging in these illegal activities have been warned to put a stop to them immediately or face prosecution when arrested.

Mr. Peter Osei-Wusu, a resource manager of the FSD, gave the warning at the inauguration of 100 CFC members for the Manya Krobo District Area (MKDA) on May 8, this year, at Odumase.

Apart from preventing illegal activities in the forest fringe communities, the CFCs were made to understand that they are to help in preparing and executing social responsibilities and assist the FSC in bush fire prevention and control.

They are also to help in formulating and executing forest laws, assist in afforestation and particularly engage in the cultivation of non-timber forest products and educate the public on forest issues.

According to Mr. Osei-Wusu, the country's forests have diminished because of excessive logging, development of infrastructure, fuel wood gathering, overgrazing and indiscriminate bush burning and population pressure.

He stated that under the Community Resource Management (CRM) laws, only communities have the right to carve out an area, such as a sacred grove. They also have the right to reject a prospective applicant on reasonable ground.

The Manya Krobo district manager of FSD, Mr. Samuel Akortia, observed that the exploitation of the forest has helped in building the country's economy, but in several ways it has caused a lot of disadvantage to living creatures hence the need to resuscitate it through afforestation programmes.

Mr. Andrews Kwesi Teye, the Manya Krobo district chief executive, prayed that God would give them strength, understanding and commitment to duty, so that they will work to ensure the full sustainability of the forest for safety environment and safety living.

In another issue, when everything looked certain that nothing good was going to come out of the national registration, which seeks to identify the unemployed in system, the national youth organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Mustapha Hamid, came out and announced that soon the names would be published in the media for short listing for employment.

According to him, they would be given the direction as to how and where to go for their training and studies on the profession they wish to practice to earn a living.

Chronicle's enquiries at the Statistical Department Eastern Region Office, indicated that 89,779 people registered under the unemployment registration exercise.

In other words, 89,779 people are expecting to get short listed for various types of jobs in the Eastern Region any moment the announcement is made.

Out of the total figure, there were 51,452 or 57.3% male, while females were 38,314 or 42.7%.

Among the 15 districts, which constitute the region, Suhum Kraboa Coaltar district Area recorded highest male unemployed, while New Juaben Municipal area recorded the highest female unemployed.

According to the statistics, those who want to train as artisans topped the list, with others such as secretarial services, vocational and trade following in that order.

Soon after the NPP government took over power from the NDC, it conducted the national registration exercise to identify the unemployed in the system and know how to provide them with employment as it promised in its campaigns that would provide employment when voted into power.

Two years after the exercise and nothing was heard about it some people began to read politics into it, describing it as a "political gimmicks."

Surprisingly, last week at the NPP monthly rally at Begoro, Mr. Hamid mounted the platform and announced that very soon the names of the unemployed would be published in media as short listed for various training.

He explained that after they have acquired the knowledge and skills in various disciplines, they will also in turn offer training to other unemployed youth, idling about on the streets.

Accordingly if the programme is carried on well, it will check the unemployment, which has become one of the biggest problems facing the government.

"It will reduce to the barest minimum also the social cankers, such as drug peddling, armed robbery and prostitutions," Hamid observed.