Forestry C'ssion suports Rapid Response unit (March 10,) page 26
The management
of the Forestry Commission has presented six Toyota Land Cruiser pickups
to its Rapid Response Unit (RRU) to ease the transportation challenges
crippling the work of the unit.
The vehicles
which were purchased with internally generated funds of the Commission is meant
to empower the unit to protect the country’s forest from the activities of
illegal chainsaw operators and encroachers.
The vehicles
worth one million Ghana cedis are also expected to help the unit police
wildlife hotspots in the country to enforce forest and wildlife laws.
RR Unit
The RRU was
established in 2012 to deal with the increasing encroachment and destruction of
forest reserves and wildlife protected areas in the country.
The Chief
Executive Officer of the Commission, Mr Samuel Afari Dartey, said the need to
equip the unit had become apparent in the face of the sophisticated nature of
vehicles and firepower that the lawbreakers were using.
He
commended the various divisions of the commission for improving on their
revenue generating activities which he said had helped in the acquisition of
the vehicles.
Mr Dartey,
therefore, advised the beneficiaries to take good care of the vehicles by
putting them to judicious use.
Achievements
The
commander of the unit, Mr Luri Kanton, said since its formation, his outfit had
chalked up some successes in its operations. For instance, he said last year,
the unit was able to destroy 372 farms in forest reserves, seized 187
chainsaws, and evicted 678 illegal miners from the Upper Wassaw Forest Reserve
and also arrested 166 people for various wildlife offences.
He thanked
the management of the commission for the vehicles which he said would enhance
the work of the unit.
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