Accra, Aug. 29, GNA- The Ghana Institute of Professional Foresters (GIPF) on Friday protested against the escalation of physical attacks on wildlife and forestry officials discharging their official duties. The foresters said in recent times some of their members have come under intense attack and were being maltreated in the discharge of their duties, especially among forest fringe communities.
Mr Kweku Prah Ghartey, GIPF National President, who said this at a press conference in Accra, cited an instance where the forest manager for Dormaa was assaulted and nearly kidnapped by the youth at Dormaa. He said but for the timely appearance of two soldiers who were on guard duties at the District Chief Executive's residence, the youth who had succeeded in pushing the man into the boot of a taxi would have gotten away with him.
Mr Ghartey said there has been other instances where two wildlife officers were attacked and killed in the Central Region. He said a former forest district manager was beaten up at Assin Foso, a volunteer forest guard was also shot at Nkawie and two forest guards were held hostage and brutally assaulted in Sunyani.
Sounding a note of caution to their members, Mr Ghartey said there has been a number of newspaper reports of corruption and mismanagement on the part of forestry officers.
"Acts of naughtiness, arrogance and disrespect for local authorities are unprofessional," he said, adding, the institute was ready to invoke its code of ethics to check such excesses. The GIPF also expressed displeasure at the increasing spate of encroachment in the nation's forest reserves by mining operators.
"These lands have been reserved for the protection of our forest, wildlife, water, biodiversity and other resources.
"Given that society has been lamenting that our forest reserves have reduced from 8.2 million hectares to 1.8 million hectares, it is suicidal to continue the further dissipation for a pot of gold," Mr Ghartey said.
He said as a nation we could not afford to sacrifice our very existence and that of future generations, adding that forests were a storehouse of energy, protection and conservation of water bodies and medicinal plants, among many other uses. 29 Aug. 03
