Protect Forests Against Bushfires - Rawlings

Donkorkrom (Afram Plains), 5 Nov., President Jerry John Rawlings has called on individuals and organisations involved in managing the nation's forests to protect it against bushfires to save the ecology. He said as Ghana is a signatory to the 1992 earth summit in Rio, the country has the responsibility to join the rest of the world to protect the environment. These were contained in an address read on his behalf by Nana Kojo Esuantsi the first, a member of the council of state at the national launching of this year's anti-bushfire campaign at Donkorkrom in the Afram Plains district yesterday. He said over four million cubic meters of exportable timber worth more than 200 million dollars has been destroyed by bushfires for the past decade while the nation lost one billion cedis worth of agricultural produce during the 1995/96 dry season through bushfires. President Rawlings called on the Ghana National Fire Service to recognise its primary role and cooperate with the Ministry of Lands and Forestry, district assemblies and other relevant departments to develop national awareness and the capacity to sustain programmes for bushfire prevention. The Minister of the Interior, Nii Okaija Adamafio, said within the broader frame of disaster management, government would continue to pursue policy initiatives to enhance the enforcement of bushfire control and prevention laws. He said the GNFS has trained over 750,000 fire volunteers with 500 of them in the Afram Plains to serve as a first line of defence against the threat of bushfire in the community. Nii Okaija appealed to chiefs and district assemblies to assist the volunteers to perform their duties effectively. The Minister of Lands and Forestry, Mr Cletus Avoka, called on Ghanaians to renew their commitment to save the country from destruction from bushfires and environmental degradation. He said Ghana's efforts at attaining middle income status by the year 2020 will be an illusion if the devastating effects of bushfires are not minimised.

Donkorkrom (Afram Plains), 5 Nov., President Jerry John Rawlings has called on individuals and organisations involved in managing the nation's forests to protect it against bushfires to save the ecology. He said as Ghana is a signatory to the 1992 earth summit in Rio, the country has the responsibility to join the rest of the world to protect the environment. These were contained in an address read on his behalf by Nana Kojo Esuantsi the first, a member of the council of state at the national launching of this year's anti-bushfire campaign at Donkorkrom in the Afram Plains district yesterday. He said over four million cubic meters of exportable timber worth more than 200 million dollars has been destroyed by bushfires for the past decade while the nation lost one billion cedis worth of agricultural produce during the 1995/96 dry season through bushfires. President Rawlings called on the Ghana National Fire Service to recognise its primary role and cooperate with the Ministry of Lands and Forestry, district assemblies and other relevant departments to develop national awareness and the capacity to sustain programmes for bushfire prevention. The Minister of the Interior, Nii Okaija Adamafio, said within the broader frame of disaster management, government would continue to pursue policy initiatives to enhance the enforcement of bushfire control and prevention laws. He said the GNFS has trained over 750,000 fire volunteers with 500 of them in the Afram Plains to serve as a first line of defence against the threat of bushfire in the community. Nii Okaija appealed to chiefs and district assemblies to assist the volunteers to perform their duties effectively. The Minister of Lands and Forestry, Mr Cletus Avoka, called on Ghanaians to renew their commitment to save the country from destruction from bushfires and environmental degradation. He said Ghana's efforts at attaining middle income status by the year 2020 will be an illusion if the devastating effects of bushfires are not minimised.