A new report published by the international natural resource watchdog, Global Witness, has revealed the Forestry Commission (FC) is issuing a lot of illegal permits for timber logging. The watchdog examined logging permits issued by the Commission covering 15,000 square kilometers. It found permits for more than 12,000 square kilometers of the 15,000 were not covered by the Timber Resources Management Act, passed in 1998. The findings called into question the legality of 3 out of 4 timber permits issued by the Commission. David Young, Campaign Leader for Global Witness, who spoke to Joy News shortly after the release of the report, said the Commission has failed to change pre-existing leases or logging permits prior to the 1998 Timber Resource Management Act. Local Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Forest Watch who immediately responded to the report also said the practice has led to huge revenue losses from the country’s timber exports. Samuel Mawutor, Spokesperson for the NGO told Joy News according to the Timber Resources Management Act (1998), logging contracts are supposed to go through a specific process to ensure fees on the rights ends up in government coffers. However what pertains currently at the Commission is robbing the nation of these rights.