The Chief Executive of Forestry Commission (FC), Mr. John Allotey, has inaugurated the Forest Plantation Technical Steering Committee for the Ghana Plantation Strategy, to review the existing 25 year Ghana Forest Plantation Strategy, and make recommendations to that effect. The Committee will be responsible for mentoring the achievement of set objectives, and facilitate periodic reviews of the Ghana Forest Plantation Strategy, which is to be reviewed every 5 years.
Mr. Nyadia Sulemana Nelson, Deputy Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, expressed his gratitude to all present at the event. He mentioned that the management of FC is ready to give all the needed support to the Committee, to enable them perform perform their duties effectively.
The Chief Executive, Mr. John Allotey, announced that the Committee will comprise of 9 members, who will steer and review the implementation of the Ghana Forest Plantation Strategy.
“Some achievements have been made based on the target that we set for ourselves. The document stipulates that we should be able to increase the plantation intervention by about 4.4 million hectares and so far 690,000ha has been achieved. This means that there’s still a lot more to do,” he said.
He introduced the members of the Committee, as follows:
• Prof. Joseph Cobbinah, Former Director, Forestry Research Institute of Ghana – Chairperson
• Mr. Joseph Osiakwan, Technical Director, Ministry of Lands & Resources, – Member
• Mr. Hugh Brown, Executive Director, Forest Services Division, Forestry Commission – Member
• Prof. Dan Ofori, Chairman, Forest Plantation Investor Forum and Faculty Member, University of Ghana Business School – Member
• Prof. Daniel Ofori, Director, Forestry Research Institute of Ghana – Member
• Dr. Michael Ansong, Faculty Member, Department of Silviculture and Forest Management, Faculty of Renewable and Natural Resources, KNUST – Member.
• Mr. Isaac Adonteng, Member, Ghana Institute of Foresters- Member
• Mr. Addo Kuffuor, Forest Plantation Timber Exporters and Loggers Association (FOPTELA) – Member
• Director of Operations, Plantations, Forest Services Division, Forestry Commission- Member
The Chairperson for the committee, Prof. Joseph Cobbinah, assured the management of FC that the Committee would deliver on what they promised and make sure the necessary recommendations will be made.
The Chief Executive thereby officially inaugurated the Steering Committee.