The paramount chief of Sehwi Wiawso traditional area, Okatakyie Kwasi Bumangama II, has asserted that the wanton destruction of forest reserves and pollution of water bodies exacerbated when the traditional authority was relieved of custodianship to the forestry.
The chief says officials from the Forestry Commission who have now been put at the hem of affairs are not helping issues causing further devastation of the forest reserves.
Okatakyie Bumangama II, who was speaking at the visit of the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, to his palace said the National House of Chiefs wants the power to be handed back to the traditional authority to keep Ghana’s forests in safe hands.
“In those days the chiefs were the custodians of the forests. The introduction of the Forestry Commission has collapsed our forests. It would have been better the forest officers responsible for the forests were not brought at all,” he cried out in Twi.
On his part, the flag bearer of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama said the chiefs are going to be empowered to carry out checks on the forests together with the Forestry Commission for a better result.
John Mahama indicated that some government staff put in charge of the reserves sometimes team up with the illegal miners to destroy the forests, something he believes would stop if the chiefs are given the power to act with them.
“We will collaborate with the traditional authority to device means of protecting our forests. Even though there is Forestry Commission in charge, there should be some laws to equally mandate the traditional authority to take charge of how the forests are protected.
“That will better secure our forests than allowing government officials to solely take care of the forests. Sometimes they [Forestry staff] connive with those destroying the forests to fall down trees or mine the gold,” he noted.
John Mahama is on his ‘Building Ghana Together Tour’ to solicit ideas from the citizenry for 2024 campaign, and currently touring the Western North region.
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