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The district forestry commission manager for Offinso south municipal of the Ashanti Regional Mr Kobina Baiden has expressed his worries on the rate at which farmers are farming in their forest reserve in the area.
Speaking to ALEXANDER NTI ON HELLO FM the district manager mr Baiden said, they have nine (9) forest reserve in the area which the farmers have encroached and farming without any prior permission.
Mr Baiden said according to the forestry commission ACT 624 – 2002, section (1)(B), if any person enters a forest reserve without obtaining the written permission of at least consulting an assistant district forest manager or a higher officer and go ahead to make or cultivate any farm or put up any building in the forest reserve commit an offence against the state and is liable to be taken to court to be prosecuted.
So it’s not right to farm on the forest and acceptable.
Mr Baiden added that they have arrested 10 farmers and over 50 structures has been destroyed.
Mr Baiden again warn chainsaw operators who usually go to the reserve cuting down tree illegally to put a stop to that behavior because when the commission get anyone he or she will be arrested and send to court for prosecution because it against the forestry commission ACT 624- 2002, section (1)(b). Mr Baiden said they have made about 3 prosecution and according to him their offences are direct without any police investigation and over 50 chainsaw machines has seized.
MrKobina Baiden finally advice the general public not to go to bush with fire especially in this hammatan season to avoid fire outbreak because for a good servant buy a bad Master.
Story By: Alexander Nti -Hello fm
