Tepa (Ash), Aug 10, GNA - The Ahafo-Ano North District Assembly has commended Madam Patience Osei Aboraa, assemblywoman for Subriso for spearheading the arrest of one Kwame Bimpeh, a forest guard and some illegal chainsaw operators who stole 70 teak trees from a forest reserve at Subriso.

Mr Akwasi Adu-Poku, District Chief Executive who commended the assemblywoman, said her courage was worth emulating by other assembly members.

Addressing the assembly at its meeting at Tepa on Thursday, he expressed concern about the serious damage being done to the environment especially the destruction of forest reserves and water bodies by illegal chainsaw operators.

"It is in this vein that all of you must emulate the courage of Madam Aboraa and bring all illegal chainsaw operators and their accomplices in your electoral areas to book to save the environment and the forests."

Mr Adu-Poku announced that the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) had through the Assembly given out 125 million cedis to eight Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) in the district for HIV/AIDS education campaigns.

Each of the CBOs, he said would receive 15.5 million cedis and asked them to use the money for the purpose for which they were given, reminding them that they would account for how they used the money and should not think that it was a gift.

The DCE said the mass cocoa spraying exercise in the district was on course and that the district had taken delivery of 21,000 bags of fertilisers for sale to cocoa farmers to boost their yields.

Nana Eric Agyemang Prempeh, the Presiding Member, asked the assembly members to discharge their duties devoid of partisan politics and also asked them to lead the crusade against potential conflict situations during the electioneering campaigns.