Deputy Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, Elikem Kotoko, has called for more resources and stronger backing for the Commission to effectively combat illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Speaking on Joy Prime’s Prime Insight on Saturday, September 13, Mr. Kotoko expressed concern that the Commission’s staff strength, particularly forest rangers, is too low to provide the needed protection for Ghana’s forest reserves.
“Let me also tell you one thing. I even feel that the Forestry Commission needs to be more resourced because we do not have many of our staff, such as forest rangers, on the field to constantly guard against that,” he said.
He compared Ghana’s situation to neighbouring countries, where he noted that forestry officials are supported by the military to tackle illegal activities in protected areas.
“When you go to even our neighbouring countries, staff of their Forestry Commission have military detachments. It is only in Ghana that we are civilians, and so you are probably holding a hunting gun while the gentleman on the other side is wielding a very sophisticated weapon,” he explained.
Mr. Kotoko called for serious reforms, including the possibility of assigning military personnel to the Commission to strengthen its work.
“I would even wish in my lifetime that we should begin to find a way to make serious amendments that will even include making sure that the Forestry Commission will be a deployment from the military,” he added.
Source: Clara Seshie
