It has emerged that some chiefs in the Bono Region take bribes from Fulani herdsmen who have invaded forest reserves in the region.
According to reports, these sub-chiefs are given a cow or even a calf to give them access into the reserve to feed their cattle.
Forest reserves including Tain 1, Tain 2, Yaya, Nsemire and Sawsaw, all in the Bono Region are being ravaged by the cattle.
They are said to have destroyed large hectares of land, food crops and trees planted under the Green Ghana programme by government and several other investments by both government and other agencies in the forest sub-sector.
The situation is dire in spite of efforts by the Bono East Municipal Assembly, Forest Services Division of the Forestry Commission and the Bono Regional Security Council to mount sustained pressure on all nomadic herdsmen.
A distraught Bono Regional Minister, Justina Owusu-Banahene, on Beyi W’ano, a segment on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem Monday said she has written to the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to investigate the allegations levelled against the chiefs.
She bemoaned the rapid increase of cattle in the forest reserve despite efforts to flush them out.
The Bono Regional Minister said they have given the herdsmen and cattle owners ample time to move but they have refused.
Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene stated unequivocally that, if persuasion fails, force will be applied.
Also, Bono East MCE, Kofi Adjei, who is leading the fight, said they are now at their wits end.
He said allegation of some chiefs being enablers in the Fulani menace has come to his attention and they are investigating it
In the interim, Hon. Adjei, who has backed a ‘shoot to kill’ measure, said they are working to get soldiers as forest guards to save the reserve from depletion.