By: J. Mason Kollie
Lofa County, Voinjama City-March 01, 2025-Liberia Chain sawyers Association Chairman in Lofa County is calling on power saw operators to register their chain saws or risk court action.
Mr. Sekou Kamara, the newly elected chairman of the Liberia Chainsaws Association in Lofa County has sent a strong message to people illegally operating on farm lands and other protected areas to immediately stop their operations and register with the umbrella organization “The Liberia Chain Sawyers Association in Lofa County” or face the full weight of the law.
According to him, there are several chain saw operators in the nearby towns and villages who are sawing planks without proper memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the community and local authority.
He indicated that lots of community members were currently involved in chain sawing without the consent of local government officials as well as other citizens of the county.
At the same time, Mr. Sekou Kamara, Chairman of the Liberia Chainsaw Association in the county said people who are doing plank business in the county should meet him for proper arrangement for the benefit of all actors and customers in the plank industry in Lofa.
Mr. Kamara disclosed that the toll system has finally been abolished by the local leadership and he is at the same time calling on all truck drivers to report anyone who will want to collect money for the toll.
At the same time, the chairman of the Chainsaw Association said, they are fully registered with the Government and paying taxes into Government Revenue at such, anyone who wants to join or get involve, that person should endeavor to contact the association for guidance and equally be ready to follow the laid down procedure as well as pay all government related fees and charges.
“We have noticed that plenty of people in the forest are doing Chain sawing without the community’s consent, and without proper memorandum of understanding (MOU).We are calling on them now to do their registration or risk court action,” he said in an interview.
Sekou Kamara also confirmed that some of the planks produced by the chain sawyers are substandard at such the Association needs to take action to curtail the sale of what he termed as “Fake wood” to customers and other interested individuals.
“We are prepared as new leadership to work with everyone in promoting our environment and cutting down some of the harmful particles in our country Liberia” he said in an interview.
Sekou Kamara also disclosed that there are illegal Chain Sawyers in the Lofa forest and therefore he wants them out of the forest and do proper registration before entering the bush for sawing. Mr. Kamara spoke in an interview on Friday February 28, 2025.
Edited: Jesefu Morris Keita| Editor-In-Chief
