The management of the Forestry Commission (FC) has expressed dismay over the forcible closure of its District Offices at Bekwai, Nkawie and Offinso, all in the Ashanti Region, on Monday, July 28, 2025 by a group of 20 masked and heavily-armed men, claiming to be operatives from the National Security (NS).
A statement issued on July 29, 2025 by the Corporate Affairs and Media Relation Unit of the FC, has condemned what it described as “the blatant act of intimidation and interference” with Public Services in the strongest possible terms.
The statement stressed that the intruders, who fitted their own padlocks on the metal gates of the said offices and left with the keys, had no lawful authority to disrupt the work of the Commission, as well as endangering the lives of its staff and clients, noting that the conduct of the said masked men is an affront of the Rule of Law and flouts the constitutional mandate of the FC.
The FC acknowledged the Ashanti Regional National Security Coordinator, Captain Kwame Jabari’s (Rtd.) disclaimer in an interview with some media outlets in which he dissociated his outfit from the incident.
Captain Jabiri (Rtd.) had also described the perpetrators as imposters, because his outfit had not sanctioned any operation targeting the FC.
The FC expressed its appreciation for the Coordinator’s clarification and envisaged a “full cooperation from all legitimate security agencies” to bring the culprits to book.
The Commission urged appropriate authorities to launch a swift and impartial investigation into the said unlawful incident, as well as the identification, arrest and the prosecution of all individuals involved.
It called for determination of the link between the said unlawful incident and the recent arrest of illegal miners by FC Rapid Response Teams in the Oda Forest Reserve.
The Commission also pleaded with the Ghana Police Service to deploy uniformed officers to safeguard FC offices to contain the highly threatened environment, in which FC staff who work and live in the various districts.
The statement also called for immediate mounting of checkpoints in the Ashanti Region to monitor and keep details of incidents with the full cooperation of District Managers.
The Forestry Commission assured its staff that their offices and work environment are safe, and should carried out their duties without any fear.
It further reiterated its commitment to protecting Ghana’s forest and wildlife resources as well as combating illegal mining (Galamsey), in support of government’s agenda to restore degraded areas.
It urged its dedicated staff and all stakeholders to remain calm and vigilant, while management with the Police and other state security institutions work to restore normal operations.
Meanwhile, the Ashanti Regional Security Secretariat (ARSS) of the National Security has strongly condemned the unlawful locking of Forestry Commission offices in parts of the region.
In a press release, the Secretariat expressed deep concern over the forcible closure of Forestry Commission offices at Bekwai, Nkawie and Offinso by armed individuals who falsely posed as operatives of the National Security.
According to the statement, the perpetrators have no affiliation with the National Security Council and their actions are illegal and unauthorised.
“The Secretariat reaffirms its commitment to upholding the rule of law and will not tolerate any unlawful conduct, especially those driven by political motivations,” the statement said.
The ARSS also assured the public of its readiness to work closely with the law enforcement agencies to ensure peace, security, and public order throughout the region.
From Oswald Pius Freiku, Kumasi
