STATEMENT: No Logging At Mole National Park

The attention of Mole National Park management has been drawn to two publications last week alleging that logging is taking place within the mole National Park. The first publication was captioned “Chinese loggers strip Mole Park” reported by one Mr. Stephen Zoure and carried by the Daily Guide newspaper on the April 8, 2013 edition and Ghanaweb on April 9, 2013.

The second article was captioned “Mole Park stripped apart by illegal loggers” and was posted on Myjoyonline on the April 12, 2013 and later in the day on Ghanaweb. The headlines of both publications are not only misleading but somehow mischievous.

Management of the Park wishes to inform the general public and the conservation community in particular that the allegations contained in both publications on the specific issue of logging inside the Mole National Park is completely false and should thus be disregarded. We wish to categorically state that no logging company or chainsaw operators have been issued permits by the Forestry Commission to fell trees within the Park or are doing so illegally.

We also wish to correct a wrong impression created by the Daily Guide publication to the effect that Savannah Investment Ghana Ltd, the company issued with permit by the Forestry commission to carry out salvage felling within the road construction zone in both the Mole and Kenikeni reserves is the same company constructing the Fufulso-Damongo-Sawla road.

While Savannah Investment Ghana Ltd is a Ghanaian timber company, the two contractors working on the road are Chinese construction companies. Workers of Savannah Investment did not stray into the Park to log as alleged by the reporter. To ensure that the contractor did not stray beyond the allocated concession, the management of Mole attached an armed guard to the field team of the company to supervise and monitor their activities.

The most disturbing aspect of both publications is the fact that none of the two reporters made an attempt to cross-check their information with the Park authorities before going public with the stories, especially when the allegations are completely unfounded. They did not also come to the area. So far the only media house that has sent a reporter to the area to investigate the allegation is Joy FM so and we find it difficult to understand why media organizations will carry out stories based on unfounded rumours.

Much as it is appreciated that the massive logging activities taking place in the area is a potential threat to the park, the desperate attempt by the two publications to implicate Mole and, perhaps as a means of drawing attention to their stories and create the impression that the park authorities and the Wildlife Division for that matter is not up to its responsibility of adequately protecting the park from intruders, is disturbing to say the least.

With regards to the assertion by a certain Robert Baidoo in the second publication, to the effect that poaching of animals in the park has increased as a result of logging, sounds rather funny and it would be interesting to know the source of his information and the statistics he has to support his claim.

The Wildlife division and for that matter management of the Mole National Park has absolutely nothing to hide as far as these matters are concerned and would even not hesitate to call on the general public and the security agencies for support if we were indeed overwhelmed by the situation as claimed in the publications.

We would therefore very much appreciate any credible Journalists or media houses that wish to know the true state of affairs to not only rely on such misleading and sensational publications but to visit the site where the activities are alleged to be taking place (Mole National Park) and verify the claims being made for themselves.

We also wish to assure the general public and particularly our development partners and all those interested in the wellbeing of the Mole and conservation in general that the park has not been tampered with by loggers, be they timber companies or chainsaw operators. We also wish to further assure you that park authorities and the wildlife division as an organization mandated by law to protect and manage the park, have what it takes to confront and deal decisively with any intruders, should they dare.

Many thanks for the concern and interest readers of the two publications have shown in the Mole National Park. We are very grateful to you all and hope that this concern and interest would be translated into support for the park.

Dubiure Umaru Farouk

(Park Manager, Mole National Park)

molewd@yahoo.com