By: Josephine Nyeweah in Kenema district
Illegal activities are massively continuing in the Kambui hills in the Kenema like mining district without a check at the moment, activities like mining, farming, charcoal burning, timber logging, and hunting, among others, without the appropriate bodies putting a stop to it.
The activities mostly take place at night and are giving residents in Kenema city and its surrounding towns and villages too much of a headache.
The Kambui Hills host more than ten water catchment areas that provide safe drinking water to the city of Kenema and its environs and villages underneath the Kambui Hills.
Over two weeks now most of the water that runs into the pipes into the city and its surrounding towns and villages is dirty water with various descriptions by an individual.
Some residents get the brownish water and place it for some hours for settlement to take place before turning it into another container for use.
Mariama Jalloh, a housewife in the Reservation area, remarked that, before now, she used to see the forest police on a daily basis going up the hills to work, but it has been some time now without seeing them as before. ‘My neighbour told me that the fact that the forest guards are no longer going into the forests is responsible for the dirty water coming into the city, a situation that is not good at all.’
Another resident at Nyandeyama Section, Baindu Bockarie, blamed the government for not doing enough to stop the situation by giving the required support and logistics to the forest guards, a situation that is responsible for most of the mishaps that are going on in the Kambui hills.
She revealed that most of the residents that carried out the illegal activities in the Kambui hills have bigger support from some stakeholders, and the activities are mostly done now at night.
Sheku JUSU, the Conservation Officer for the National Protected Area Authority (NPAA) in the Eastern Region, explained to the press that he is not surprised about happenings in the Kambui hills.
He said he has tried his level best by reporting to appropriate quarters and then had an ugly situation with the forest guards since they came out from training school.
They have vowed not to return to normal duty until their demands are met by looking into their condition of service and welfare support.
He revealed that most of the guards have been telling stories about happenings to them in the forests from poachers, hunters and miners.
We are aware of the night activities, but the forest rangers are not equipped to work at night in preventing illegal activities. Most residents are taking advantage of the situation and venture into the forests at night to carry out their dubious games to their own advantage. The situation is becoming worse on a daily basis
