The Forestry Commission has partnered with the Seth Anthony Jungle Warfare Training School in Akyem Achiase to equip Forest Guards with advanced tactical skills to combat illegal mining (galamsey) and illegal logging.
This is a significant move to help protect Ghana’s natural resources.
A pilot group of 80 Forest Guards from the Eastern, Ashanti, and Western regions has completed an intensive training program.
The initiative is designed to transform traditional forest protection into a more robust operation capable of handling the increasing threats within forest reserves.
The curriculum focused on preparing guards for the physical demands of long-term deployment.
Personnel were equipped to live and work within dense forest zones for extended periods.
They were taken through rigorous training, strengthening their ability to intercept and neutralize illegal mining and chainsaw operations.
Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Speratus Anglaawine Baninyeni, Commanding Officer of the school, emphasized that the training bridges the gap between civilian forestry and tactical forest defense.
”The trainees are specifically prepared to live and work in forest zones for extended periods while conducting operations to protect the country’s forests and water bodies,” he stated during the closing ceremony.
Madam Fumney Nassah, Director of Operations and Plantations at the Forest Service Division, noted that the partnership is a cornerstone of the Commission’s broader strategy to ensure the sustainable management of Ghana’s environmental heritage.
While the training enhances enforcement, Mr. Isaac Noble Eshun, the Ashanti Regional Forest Services Division Manager, reminded the public that the military and Forestry Commission cannot act alone.
He stressed that protecting Ghana’s water bodies and reserves is a shared responsibility, calling on all citizens to join the fight against galamsey.
Source: Kwabena Oforin
