Sunyani (Brong Ahafo), 15 Feb'99 -

The General Secretary of the Timber and Woodworkers Union (TWU), Mr George Mannah has appealed to the government to re-open the Kato Sawmill at Berekum and appoint a commission of enquiry to investigate the circumstances that led to the shooting of an employee by a Policeman last year. He made the appeal at the closing session of a two-week workshop organised for 20 chain-saw operators and charcoal burners of TWU at Sunyani over the weekend. Since the law is no respecter of anyone, there is the need to identify and bring to book the Police officer, who killed the victim during a peaceful

demonstration. Mr Mannah, cautioned members of TWU to refrain from illegal strike actions but to resort to dialogue in seeking redress for their griveances. The Brong Ahafo Regional Programme Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Mr Isaac Osei said since the forest contributes to the economic and socio-cultural well-being of the people, individuals, groups and organisations have the responsibility to protect it from degradation. He explained that the country at the turn of the century had about eight million hectares of closed forest but this has been reduced to only two million hectares and called for the protection of forests as the bona fide property bequeathed to the nation.