Mohamed Forneh has been elected as President of the Timber Association Sierra Leone. When he was being inaugurated on Thursday, March 4, 2021, he promised to run the Association with an all-inclusive executive for the next four years.
“Today I am so happy for the mandate given to me which means if we had any difference we need to move on and work together in the best interest of the Timber Association,” he said.
He promised to uphold the integrity of the trade, and advised himself and other leaders in the Association that for it to move they have to put sanity in place.
He describes himself as a quiet person who does not talk much, but who believes in doing the right work. He ensured every members of the Timber Association of his relentless support and protection which will enable the trade to continue to be one that is held in admiration.
Outgoing Chairman of the Timber Association Shar Amadu Kambia handed over the instruments of power to Mohamed Forneh, and also noted that during his tenure as interim Chairman for six month, the Association faced a lot of challenges such as lack of funds, non-maintenance of trees that had been planted in various districts across the country, forest fires and other human activities such as farming and hunting.
He added that in spite of the challenges, they proffered recommendations which could be implemented when the Association secures adequate funding so that it could pay people to be able to take care of the trees that it had planted across the different district. He said they are looking forward to seeing very strong government support for the Chairman to enforce the by-laws that had been instituted so that the trees will not be burnt down.
In his statement, the Chairman Oversight Committee on the Environment, Hon. Yusuf Mackery congratulated president elect Mohamed Forneh, cautioned that selfishness and corruption are the reasons for so many issues arising within the Association which has resulted in its poor administration.
The Deputy Minister of Environment, Cyril Jusu, charged the new administration with the task of ensuring that total sanity exists within people trading in Timber.
He emphasized on the fact that government is still committed to the objective of supporting the trade in Timber.
He however called on the newly elected president to institute an audit into the activities of the previous executive of the Association.
By Desmond Tunde Coker
09/03/2021. ISSUE NO: 8016