The Bosomoa Forest Reserve in the Bono East Region has come under increasing encroachment pressure, with reports confirming that about 20 acres of the protected area between Jema and Ampoma have been cleared to make way for the construction of a proposed College of Health Sciences (Nursing and Midwifery Training School).
According to Supt. Ernest Kodjo Doukonoo, the Kintampo South District Police Commander, the safety of Forestry Commission staff deployed to protect the reserve “cannot be guaranteed.”
He further stated that even in cases where arrests were made over the encroachment, he saw no need to pursue prosecution, suggesting the matter may not warrant further legal action.
The development has raised alarm among forestry officials, who warn that the project poses a direct threat to the integrity of one of only three remaining forest reserves in the Bono East Region.
A meeting convened by the Bono East Regional Minister, Hon. Francis Owusu Antwi, to discuss the situation was attended by several key stakeholders, including Deputy Regional Police Commander ACP Boadu, Kintampo South District Chief Executive Hon. Wilfred Zuuri, Kintampo South Constituency Chairman Mr. Robert Sakyi (Slima), Kintampo Forest District Manager Mr. Maxwell Agyekum Oteng, Deputy District Manager Mr. Owusu Ansah, and Regional Forestry Manager Mr. David Kwaku Appiagyei.
At the meeting, both the District Chief Executive and the Constituency Chairman reportedly insisted that Forestry Commission staff stationed at the reserve be removed, warning that their continued presence could trigger attacks from members of the surrounding communities.
It was further concluded that any attempt to stop or delay the construction project could provoke hostility from the Jema and Ampoma communities, making it unsafe for Forestry personnel—particularly the Rapid Response Team—to operate in the area.
The Regional Forestry Manager has since appealed to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, and the President, John Dramani Mahama, to intervene and safeguard the reserve from further destruction.
The situation highlights growing tensions between environmental protection efforts and local development interests, leaving the fate of the Bosomoa Forest Reserve uncertain.
