General News of Saturday, 28 August 2021
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
2021-08-28
Benito Owusu-Bio and some officials inspecting one of the containers
• The thirteen containers are believed to have been imported from Nigeria
• Benito Owusu-Bio, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources in charge of the Forestry led the team to make the discovery
• Government maintains that the trade of rosewood is illegal
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, working in collaboration with the National Security and Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, have impounded thirteen containers of rosewoods at Tema Port.
This disclosure was made by the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Forestry who led a team of officers from the National Security and the Customs Division of the GRA to inspect and confirm the consignment.
Details revealed by Benito Owusu-Bio at a press conference yesterday on Friday, August 27, 2021 indicated that the consignments were from Nigeria.
He said that authorities first got wind of the arrival of the illegal consignment but opted against opening them as a result of the absence of the owners of the containers.
Benito Owusu-Bio narrated that initial information stated that the containers were five but further investigations brought to the fore that as many as thirteen containers carrying the banned material had been shipped into the country.
The Minister further disclosed that the company which was identified as the consignee is FELISCO SUN Company limited.
Benito Owusu-Bio used the opportunity to restate government’s zero-tolerance policy on rosewood. He served a reminder that trade in rosewoods be it import or export is banned in the country and that persons caught in contravention will face the full rigours of the law.
He warned that the clampdown on rosewoods continues unabated and any person or organization found to be dealing in will not be spared.
Benito Owusu-Bio disclosed that the case will be handed over to the National Investigations Bureau for probe and possible arrest of the persons behind the illegal activity.
The government under the auspices of the honorable Samuel Abu Jinapor is cracking down on illegal rosewood trade.
In June this year, seven tracks ferrying rosewoods were impounded by a ministerial taskforce. Two were seized at Damongo in the Savannah Region whiles the other five at the Tema Port.
