Develop Deja forest reserve - Chief

Nana Akuamoah Boateng Tannor II, Chief of Donkorkrom, has called on the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Creative Arts and the Ghana Tourist Authority (GTA) to support the Kwahu Afram Plains North District to turn the Deja Forest Reserve into a tourist’s destination.

He explained that, this would make the reserve one of the tourist attraction sites in the country to help raise revenue for the district and the country, as well as provide opportunities for better management of the reserve.

The Chief expressed worry that, vast natural resources in the Afram Plains were going waste when “in fact they could be tapped to generate revenue for the development of the area”.

He spoke with the Ghana News Agency (GNA)-STAR Ghana Media Auditing and Tracking of Development team at Donkorkrom.

“God has endowed the Afram Plains with a lot of natural resources in terms of forest reserves and a man-made lake, which could be turned into opportunities and wealth for our benefits but here we are,” he lamented.

Nana Tannor expressed worry that, foreigners frequently trooped to Donkorkrom to visit the Deja forest reserve but are unable to access the place after crossing the Volta Lake.

He therefore appealed to the appropriate authority to at least create an accessible road, stressing that, “even if it is a footpath it would enable tourists to have access to the forest reserve to admire nature.”

Nana Tannor also impressed upon the District Assembly to initiate the collaboration between the Ministry and the GTA as well as the Forestry Commission to develop the neglected forest reserve into a tourist destination.

The Deja Forest Reserve is located at Deja, a community just across the Volta Lake in the Kwahu Afram Plains North District, but lies waste and undeveloped.

The reserve sits on a total land area of 3,478 kilometers square land stretches from the Brong Ahafo Region to that part of the Eastern Region.

According to Mr Lawrence Tetteh, an Assistant Wildlife Officer in charge of the Southern Sector, the reserve has both savannah and forest animals, including elephants, lions among other mammals in it.

He confirmed to the GNA that, in terms of tourism, the Deja Forest reserve is not developed but indicated that the Forestry Commission had plans to develop the place.