Forestry Commission suspends two officers over chainsaw lumber auction

The Forestry Commission has suspended Mr. Eric Boamah of the Timber Industry Development Division (TIDD) and Felix Gatiba, the Ahafo Area Manager, amid an ongoing dispute over the disposal of impounded chainsaw lumber in the Ahafo Region.

The action follows claims that an auction was conducted in violation of a temporary freeze imposed by the Chief Executive Officer earlier this year.

According to a letter of interdiction issued by management, the decision arose from an incident involving an impounded truck with registration AS 3990–25, which was found transporting auctioned lumber from the MIM TIDD Area Office.

The Commission maintains this contravened a directive dated 17th April 2025, which placed a moratorium on auctioning confiscated lumber and other forest products.

However, documents indicate that the interdicted officer was following explicit instructions from senior leadership at the time.

Directive issued by Deputy CEO

A formal directive from the Deputy Chief Executive (Operations) of the Commission, Elikem E.K. Kotoko, provides additional context to the events leading to the interdiction.

In the directive addressed to the Executive Director of TIDD and copied to the Ahafo Area Manager, the Deputy CEO detailed the findings of a surprise compliance inspection conducted across Ahafo and neighboring areas on 1st October 2025.

During the inspection, several trucks suspected of transporting chainsaw lumber without valid documentation were impounded.

The Deputy CEO then issued clear instructions for the Ahafo TIDD office to conduct a full auction in accordance with established Forestry Commission procedures.

His directive outlined specific actions:

Conduct an official auction to dispose of the impounded chainsaw lumber following Commission protocols.

Obtain the required court order to ensure compliance with statutory regulations governing public auctions.

Establish a committee to oversee the auction, under the supervision of the Area Manager.

Continue the exercise until further instructions are issued.

Deposit all auctioned proceeds into the Forestry Commission’s designated bank account.

Submit monthly reports to the Deputy Chief Executive on auction operations.

The directive was marked urgent, stressing adherence to operational and financial regulations.

Despite the written instruction, management has suspended the two officers immediately to allow an “unfettered investigation” into the alleged infraction. They will receive 50 percent of their salaries during the period of interdiction.

The Acting Executive Director of TIDD has been tasked with working with the Corporate Human Resources Directorate to form a Cross-Divisional Investigation Committee.

The committee is expected to submit its findings to the Chief Executive by Friday, 5th December 2025.

The suspended officers are required to remain available to assist in the inquiry as the committee determines whether the auction and transportation of the lumber violated the Chief Executive’s temporary freeze directive or if the officers acted within lawful instructions from the Deputy CEO.

Meanwhile the affected officers insist their suspension is unjust. They argue that generating GH₵623,000 in revenue in a single month reflects their diligence and commitment and should have been commended rather than punished.

They are appealing to the relevant authorities to intervene and reinstate them to their positions.