Madam Jackie Anderson Mensah, Director of Jackie Anderson Harvest Timbers and daughter of Mr Joseph Henry Mensah, former Senior Minister in the immediate past NPP government is illegally felling trees at some timber concessions in the northern part of the country, TODAY can state on authority.
Madam Anderson’s action, the paper gathered, violates a directive that was issued by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources some months ago that all timber firms that have permits to fell trees should temporarily cease operations.
According to the directive, the fate of the permits acquired by various timber companies would be determined after the ministry has completed its review of permits that were issued in bizarre circumstances.
Again, the ministry’s action, the paper gathered, was as a result of gross disregard of LI 1721 of the 2003 Forestry Act by the previous NPP government. That notwithstanding, TODAY’s discreet inquiries have revealed that not only has Ms Anderson flouted the directive of the ministry she had allegedly sold out felling permit she managed to secure through the influence of her father on the eve of the 2008 general election to two Indian brothers: Praful Ghanatra and Pashantra Ghanatra.
The two Indian brothers, TODAY’s checks established, came into the country as strategic investors, but are now using their Tema Community Ten (10) residence as office. And with the active connivance of Ms Anderson, the two Indian brothers have illegally been able to obtain permits from Ghanaian companies that have permits, but do not have the necessary equipment to undertake operations.
According to flawless information emanating from the echelon of the Forestry Commission (FC), some high profile commission members and Mr Collins Dauda, the sector Minister were aware of the unlawful operations of Ms Anderson’s and that of the two Indians, but have turned a blind eye.
Ms Anderson, who our investigations uncovered, has been in the timber business for the past four (4) years because of her domineering attitude, has been branded by many industry players as ‘Madam Hercules’ and not even the sector Minister can question her unlawful operations.
Startling information that Today Newspaper uncovered during the investigation was that felling right of all the timber plantations the three Northern regions were issued to Madam Anderson’s company just two weeks to the 2008 general election – a move many timber firms vehemently opposed at the time.
“Some of us have personally contacted the sector minister on the issue, but he has done nothing to address the issue. This woman (referring to Madam Anderson) seems to be so powerful that even a whole Minister is having difficulties in calling her to order,” a source at the Forestry Commission who pleaded for strict anonymity told this reporter.
Checks further revealed that she is a known NPP activist like her father, but has managed to use her contacts and connections to lobby her way through and has now become ‘the darling girl’ of the big gangs in the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).’
However, when the paper reached her to ascertain the truth or otherwise of the story she indeed confirmed that she was working with the two Indian brothers, but vehemently denied ever selling felling permits to them.
“The Indians you are talking about are very good friends of mine but I do not recollect ever selling felling permits them. In fact, I have been in this business for more than 15 years know the dos and the don’ts very well,” she asserted.
She added... “On this continent (Africa) one has to be at times very rough before he or she can survive. So I am doing what I am doing because I don’t want to die in poverty,” she submitted.
This reporter in the course of the interview tasted a bit of her egoism and arrogance as she digressed from the question that was asked to hurl unprintable words on this reporter.
Many industry players have called on the Mills led administration to, as a matter of urgency, set up a commission of enquiry to delve into activities of the FC to bring sanity to the sector.
More revelations into how former Minister of Lands and Forestry, Mrs Cecelia Obeng Dapaah and former head of the FC managed the affairs of the sector in subsequent publications.
Source: Today/Ghana
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