The Forest Services Division(FSD) of the Forestry Commission (FC) has organized a 2-day symposium at the Forestry Commission Training Centre (FCTC).
The meeting focused more on conservations, brainstorming, critical thinking and team building.
The Chief Executive of FC, Mr. John Allotey commended the Forest Services Division for helping in the fight against illegal mining and forest protection in Ghana. He echoed the need to feel motivated and inspired them to meet new goals and accomplish big things.
Mr. Allotey also highlighted the need to build necessary informal relationships and coalitions. He further stated that forest conservation agenda should always be the focus of the Division.
He further urged staff to be supportive in response to concerns about the social, environmental and economic consequences of forest loss and degradation, and safeguard natural resources at local and regional levels.
He empowered and motivated staff to design collaborative meeting agendas, assign action items and share feedback at all times, in that FSD and TIDD staffs need to work together as one people, and therefore no need for segregation of any kind.
Mr. Allotey was of the view that, there is the need to drive mechanisms to foster conservation to help secure sustainable and desirable livelihoods. He emphasized long term plan issues, such as workers welfare, succession plan, with a focus on exiting strategies within the Division, profiling of workers, smooth transitions at management levels, filling vacant positions, in that every member of staff should feel free to apply to any vacancy as HR advertises.
He reiterated the fact that there is the need to have one public relations officer in each Region, to help in reporting lines to the head office.
Mr. Hugh Brown, the Executive Director (ED) of the Division, in his open remarks, motivated staff to continue to give in their best, and spoke on property mark development , enrichment planting, Green Ghana issues, Drones for surveillance monitoring, illegal farming, boundary cleaning, and the need to foster closer collaboration with other Divisions.
The Director, for the centre, Mr. Andy Osei Okrah, appreciated FSD management for choosing FCTC as the venue for such conference. He informed those gathered, that the Commission has been given approval by the Technical and Vocational Education Training (CTVET) to run a certification program in Furniture making at FCTC. The centre has also signed a MoU, with the University of Natural Resource Management (UERN).
The HR Director, Mrs. Anne Brown, highlighted the need for self-initiated training initiatives, uniform wearing issues, new pension scheme Act, Job enlargement and Public Relations placements in all Regions. She also briefed them on the Tier 2 Pension Scheme and advised staff to check their statements regularly.
