Let’s help preserve our wetlands - Professor Frimpong Boateng

As part of efforts to help preserve our environment, the Ministry of Environment Science Technology and Innovation (MESTI), in collaboration with EPA and Forestry commission on the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) on the 22nd May 2018 organised a tour to Panbros Salt Industries Limited to access the damage of the site.

The minister for Environment Science Technology and Innovation, Professor Frimpong Boateng who graced the occasion at Panbros spoke to the media expressing frustration over how the environment has been treated over the years leading to the destruction of nature.

The sustainable use of wetlands is critical to enable society to achieve sustainable social and economic development, adapt climate change and improve social cohesion and economic stability.

Panbros Salt Industry Limited (PSIL), the largest producer of salt in West Africa has not been able to meet its target of 250,000 tonnes annually because about 500 hectares of its land site has been encroached upon by residents. Speaking to the Managing Director of the company, Michael Odartey-Wellington lamented how the industry has not been able to break even due to the activities of encroachers who have put up structures and taken a greater part of the land, he made an appeal to the government to act fast to help save the situation.

‘’ The will to act in Ghana is completely missing, is not just here, in other places we find people building in places they shouldn’t build. Why are we afraid to act? Why don’t we have the willpower, why? ‘’

He spoke about how the company is unable to produce the quantity of salt needed in the country hence we have to export salt on a daily basis which has become the norm now.

‘’Because we are unable to meet the demand, now salt is being imported into the country and now it has come to stay, Why should we import salt into Ghana? That shouldn’t happen. He stressed.

Professor Frimpong Boateng also reiterated the need for Ghanaians to be extra vigilant in protecting the environment since it is all we have and when destroyed will be disastrous.

‘’ As human beings, we are supposed to take care of the rest of humanity, we are not outside the biodiversity, we are part of it and therefore if we mismanage what is left apart from us eventually we also die’’. He said

According to the minister, a committee will be set up in collaboration with Nii Sempe to help educate the people about the need to protect our wetlands which will go a long way to generate revenue.