The Forestry Commission has banned the carrying of arms by timber contractors on their concessions and has ordered all licensed timber contractors to disarm their private security guards or have their licenses withdrawn if they fail to adhere to the directive.
The Forestry Services District Manager for the Dormaa Forest District, Ebenezer Mensah gave the directive at a meeting organized by the Paramount Chief of Dormaa Traditional Area, Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu at Dormaa Ahenkro in the Dormaa Central Municipality of the Bono region.
Mr. Mensah cited illegal loggers who enter the forest reserves, particularly Mpamesu forest wielding guns saying the situation has created a sense of insecurity, fear and danger for people in such areas.
The Dormaa Central Municipal Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Boakye Ansah says it is illegal for concessioners to engage the services of armed-security guards to assist them to guard their forest concessions as the law does not permit them to do so.
He, therefore, stressed the need for the contractors to withdraw their armed forest guards as a vital step for officers of the Commission to have a high sense of security to work.
The Gyaasehene of the Dormaa Traditional Area who deputized for Oseadeeyo Agyemam Badu, charged timber contractors who recruited gangs from Kasapin and Mim to guard their concessions in the Mpamesu Forest Reserve to discontinue with their services of illegal guards.
