Nana Bonsu II, President of the Concerned Farmers Association of Ghana, has accused police officers and commanders of facilitating illegal logging in forest reserves, claiming that loggers operate under the protection of law enforcement.
He says these individuals use the names of high-ranking officials to justify the destruction of state-protected lands.
Speaking on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey on Tuesday, February 10, Nana highlighted the ongoing decline in Ghana’s forest cover amid weak enforcement and illegal logging, describing it as part of a long-standing pattern of exploitation.
“It’s like the whole country is a mess,” he said, stressing that deforestation is occurring under the watch of those mandated to prevent it. Despite previous alerts to authorities, including reports submitted in 2016, Nana claims no meaningful action was taken.
He explained that individuals are freely cutting down trees with what he described as sanctioned impunity.
“People have the right to cut down trees, destroy it with that in it, in the name of my name and the name of big man at the top and who said? Police people, District police commanders and other things with that,” Nana said. “We’re men with guns protecting criminals just to destroy state property.”
Linking the issue to broader governance failures, Nana expressed frustration that his earlier warnings were disregarded.
“I gave you my report in 2016 which did not take a serious note on it,” he recalled. “And then there’s another report and if you don’t even take serious note on this, you fail again.”
He stressed that his account is based on direct observation.
“This is no lie. It is real because we are on the field at what is happening.”
Nana also called for stronger oversight within the Cocoa Board and other institutions, warning that systemic vulnerabilities are being exploited for political gain.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Bilkiss Abdul Majiid
