By
Dennis Peprah, GNA
Sunyani, Jan. 07,
GNA – The national ban on the lumbering of rosewood is still in force, Mr Kwaku
Asomah-Cheremeh, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources has warned.
He explained the ban
is in line with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Specifies
(CITES).
According to the
Minister, saying until the ban was lifted, the Ministry would intensify
enforcement, clamp down and prosecute culprits.
Interacting with
Journalists in Sunyani, Mr Asomah-Cheremeh expressed regret over the rapid
depletion of the nation’s forest and therefore appealed to Ghanaians to be on
the watch and help in the prevention of illegal chainsaw operation and arrest
of perpetrators.
The sector minister
narrowly escaped death on Wednesday, January 2, 2020 when a Kia Truck with
registration number AS 4955E, loaded with lumber nearly rammed his vehicle.
Mr Asomah-Cheremeh
however escaped unhurt, while the driver of the truck who was conveying the
lumber from Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Bono Region to Yeji in the Bono East region
was arrested and granted Police inquiry bail.
The truck has since
been impounded by the Forestry Commission.
Narrating the
incident to newsmen, Mr Asomah-Cheremeh said he was returning from a trip and
chanced on the truck at the traffic light, near the Sunyani Municipal Hospital
around 2100 hours and signaled the driver of the truck to stop, but he refused
to do so.
“I overtook the
truck driver from the other lane and tried to stop him, but he ignored the
signal, smashed my vehicle and created incision to the bumper, destroying the
booth of my vehicle at the Nkwabeng Goil filling station”, he explained.
Mr Asomah-Cheremeh
said the driver of the truck was later arrested by some good citizens who
chased the truck.
“When the driver was
arrested, he brought the documents covering the lumber and it was realised that
the amount paid for VAT was higher than the actual cost of the lumber. The
document also shows the truck was expected to carry not more than 300 pieces of
lumber instead of the more than 1000 pieces it was conveying and this raised my
suspicion”, he added.
Mr Asomah-Cheremeh
refuted allegations made against him and being circulated in the social media
that he demanded money from the truck driver and caused his detention in Police
custody saying “such allegations are figments of the imaginations of my
accusers”.
The Minister said he
had caused the arrest and impounded several trucks conveying rosewood, and
assured the commitment of his Ministry to stem uncontrolled illegal lumbering
and chainsaw operation in the country.
GNA
