Forestry staff fumes over news story

Mr Yakubu Mohammed, Sunyani District Forestry Officer, threw decorum to the wind when he stormed the regional office of the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani and nearly assaulted a reporter "for giving his outfit bad publicity in the media".

The timely intervention of Mr Kwakye Ameyaw, Regional Manager of the Forestry Services Division, and another visitor, however, prevented Mr. Yakubu from landing his clenched fist in the face of the reporter.

Obviously embarrassed by the behaviour of his subordinate, Mr Ameyaw apologised profusely as he, together with the visitor, struggled to drag out the fuming district officer out of the office.

It all started when Mr. Yakubu in the company of his regional boss arrived at the office of the GNA to react to two stories published in a national daily over allegations of illegal exploitation of timber in the region.

After they had been given seats, Mr Yakubu lounged into a verbal tirade "promising fire and brimstone for the GNA and its staff for filing those two stories".

Mr Yakubu, however, without any provocation, shot out of his chair and dashed to the side of the reporter with a menacing clenched fist ostensibly to punch him.

Alarmed by the behaviour of the district officer, Mr. Ameyaw quickly rushed to separate Mr. Yakubu from his target and, with the help of the visitor, dragged him out of the office as he rained invectives on the staff.

Basically, the two stories, which are being disputed by the two forestry officials, said some forest reserves were being encroached upon whilst there has been a sudden upsurge in the illegal exploitation of timber in the region.

The sources of both stories accused forestry officials of complicity and called on the government to take steps to rectify the situation.