Parliament Must Pass Tough New Laws To Save The Remainder of Ghana's Forests

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• Kpengson Ray 10 years ago

  Mr. Thompson thank you for your piece and the effort you have put in over the years to save our forests!
  I want you to come up north, to West Gonja District and Damongo in particular. This is an ecological fragile savanna zo ...
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  Mr. Thompson thank you for your piece and the effort you have put in over the years to save our forests!
  I want you to come up north, to West Gonja District and Damongo in particular. This is an ecological fragile savanna zone and yet everyday not less than 10 articulated trucks fully loaded with illegally logged wood leave for the ports down south for export. This is done in the full view of our local traditional and political leaders, environmental and security personnel. It is said that each of the actors mentioned is given a certain amount before any truck can leave Damongo! Just go to the hinterland in the Damongo area and see the devastation caused!
  Ironically President Mahama's mother hails and lives in the area! The President cannot be unaware of what is happening here! What was he saying the other day that Chiefs and their people should plant trees in the north? SADA had undertaken a tree planting project? What is the use planting ten trees in a year when illegal loggers cut down 1000's within a week? This is where I am disappointed with President Mahama! He can't stop this practice even in his own area knowing how ecological fragile the area is? Just look at the dwindling amount of rainfall over the years and this year in particular!
  The other day it was reported that he had given a directive that all licenses for logging in the north be revoked and for the illegal logging to cease immediately! Well Mr. President come to Damongo and see, they have defied you! What they are telling you is that you are a weak President and nobody cares about your directives! You were my favourite President because of the development projects you have initiated here but as for the environment there is no negotiation and therefore I will reject you in 2016!
  And to the chiefs, DCE, police, forestry officers here in Damongo, shame onto you! It is so nauseating to see police people openly quarreling over how the monies given to them by illegal loggers should be shared!
  Mr. Thompson come to Damongo and see for yourself! Help us fight this canker!

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• Kofi Thompson. 10 years ago

  Mr. Kpengson,
  
  Do not despair. Our consolation is that nature nearly always recovers in the long run.
  
  It is humankind that is signing its own death warrant in our reckless destruction of what is left of our natural heri ...
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  Mr. Kpengson,
  
  Do not despair. Our consolation is that nature nearly always recovers in the long run.
  
  It is humankind that is signing its own death warrant in our reckless destruction of what is left of our natural heritage.
  
  What we must do is to appeal to the conscience of our ruling elites - and get concerned people to speak out against the greed driving this madness.
  
  Speak to your member of Parliament - and appeal to him or her to take up the matter with the leadership of Parliament.
  
  It was a member of Parliament whose personal initiative brought about the new draft law that is sending shockwaves in the heavy equipment hiring sub-sector of the mining services industry that supplies the excavators and bulldozers used by those involved in galamsey.
  
  May God bless you, Opanin.

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• Abeeku Mensah 10 years ago

  Sorry Kofi if you have not been reading the tea on Ghana but what seem to matter most to Ghana's classroom educated folks especially those in the Diaspora are things on line with tribal preferences and or cheap political poin ...
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  Sorry Kofi if you have not been reading the tea on Ghana but what seem to matter most to Ghana's classroom educated folks especially those in the Diaspora are things on line with tribal preferences and or cheap political point scoring scheme. One day it's Dr. Okoampa-Ahoofe, Rockson Adofo, Justice Sarpong, Prof. Asare and others next it is Dr. Bokor. The best and worst on Ghanaweb and other media publication centers around which of the two major parties, NPP and NDC, has most hypocrites and intellectually dishonest members with access to media.
  
  And just like the global community at large no one cares about global warming; people are just busy trying to hitch their post to an ungodly political party that makes them the most money. Do you Kofi think in a property seeking NPP society saving Ghana's depleted forests matter to people eager to sell anything to have their riches? How about an NDC that is yet to see state funds not ripe for stealing? So you see asking a wisdom lacking and bankrupt parliament to do right by Ghana would be asking too much of a miracle even from God. There's a song that talks about a crying Ghana society so brainwashed by politics even when Jesus comes to us in disguise across the sky we would not recognize him because we will be looking for a king.

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• Kofi Thompson. 10 years ago

  Opanin,
  
  Thanks for your response. We cannot give up. If we do, the younger generation is doomed.
  
  That is why people like you must seize every opportunity to speak out against the cynicism of our ruling elites.
  
  Surp ...
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  Opanin,
  
  Thanks for your response. We cannot give up. If we do, the younger generation is doomed.
  
  That is why people like you must seize every opportunity to speak out against the cynicism of our ruling elites.
  
  Surprising though it might be to you, a number of them do actually take note of such concerns. It is the inertia in the system that makes change such a slow process.
  
  The present minister for lands and mineral resources is the best minister we have since the 4th Republic came into being.
  
  He is doing everything possible to change things - and if we speak out a miracle in the shape of a tough new law similar to the draft mining law could eventually be passed by Parliament.
  
  Thanks once again for your response - and peace and blessings to you, Opanin.
  
  Thanks once again, Mr. Abeokuta Mensah.

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• Kofi Thompson. 10 years ago

  Opanin,
  
  Thanks for your response. We cannot give up. If we do, the younger generation is doomed.
  
  That is why people like you must seize every opportunity to speak out against the cynicism of our ruling elites.
  
  Surp ...
  read full comment

  Opanin,
  
  Thanks for your response. We cannot give up. If we do, the younger generation is doomed.
  
  That is why people like you must seize every opportunity to speak out against the cynicism of our ruling elites.
  
  Surprising though it might be to you, a number of them do actually take note of such concerns. It is the inertia in the system that makes change such a slow process.
  
  The present minister for lands and mineral resources is the best minister we have since the 4th Republic came into being.
  
  He is doing everything possible to change things - and if we speak out a miracle in the shape of a tough new law similar to the draft mining law could eventually be passed by Parliament.
  
  Thanks once again for your response - and peace and blessings to you, Opanin.
  
  Thanks once again, Mr. Abeokuta Mensah.

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• OKOE 10 years ago

  THIS GENTLEMAN IS CRYING OUT TO SAVE GHANA THE EMBARRASING SITUATION AWAITING GHANA IF PARLIAMENT DOES NOT HEED HIS PLEA. IN DEVELOPED NATIONS, COMPANIES ARE REQUIRED TO REPLANT FIELDS THEY HARVEST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. TIME ...
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  THIS GENTLEMAN IS CRYING OUT TO SAVE GHANA THE EMBARRASING SITUATION AWAITING GHANA IF PARLIAMENT DOES NOT HEED HIS PLEA. IN DEVELOPED NATIONS, COMPANIES ARE REQUIRED TO REPLANT FIELDS THEY HARVEST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. TIME IS RUNNING OUT. A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE. ACT NOW!!!

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• Kofi Thompson. 10 years ago

  Wise words indeed, Mr. Okoe. God bless you!

  Wise words indeed, Mr. Okoe. God bless you!

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• Kofi Thompson. 10 years ago

  Wise words indeed, Mr. Okoe. God bless you!

  Wise words indeed, Mr. Okoe. God bless you!

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• BlackC 10 years ago

  Kofi,
  I'm bothered by the fact that the SADA websites Citizens Feedback link doesn't work.
  
  These different government websites and contact links need to be more interactive. I know this pales to what your concern is ...
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  Kofi,
  I'm bothered by the fact that the SADA websites Citizens Feedback link doesn't work.
  
  These different government websites and contact links need to be more interactive. I know this pales to what your concern is but it is options like this that helps with passing issues like deforestation along and adds to the attention this should get.

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• Kofi Thompson. 10 years ago

  Opanin, you are absolutely right about the need for ordinary people to be able to interact regularly with Ghanaian officialdom online.
  
  I will pass on your feedback to SADA.
  
  Many thanks, Opanin - and peace and blessings ...
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  Opanin, you are absolutely right about the need for ordinary people to be able to interact regularly with Ghanaian officialdom online.
  
  I will pass on your feedback to SADA.
  
  Many thanks, Opanin - and peace and blessings to you.

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• Asiwome 10 years ago

  All of the emaciated children paraded on American TV have one thing in common, their pictures are set in environments that have been depleted of trees. It is a sorry sight that must be a warning to all. We need trees, and God ...
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  All of the emaciated children paraded on American TV have one thing in common, their pictures are set in environments that have been depleted of trees. It is a sorry sight that must be a warning to all. We need trees, and God will not come down to tell us something that is so obvious.

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• Asiwome 10 years ago

  You must also take this fight to landowners who are paving their homes with concrete instead of planting trees, fruit trees especially, and shrubs.After all Ghana is still considered a "developing" country.

  You must also take this fight to landowners who are paving their homes with concrete instead of planting trees, fruit trees especially, and shrubs.After all Ghana is still considered a "developing" country.

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• Hazor 10 years ago

  Kofi,I agree with you 100% no your stand against illegal mining and deforestation.We should lay blames at the both doorstep of the president and our law makers.because some of us are not myopia we recall president John Draman ...
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  Kofi,I agree with you 100% no your stand against illegal mining and deforestation.We should lay blames at the both doorstep of the president and our law makers.because some of us are not myopia we recall president John Dramani Mahama encourage forest destruction for galamsey and polluting the ecosystem by the Chinese and we recall that the president said they are doing business for living and that is why he providing bore holes instead of treatment pipe borne water.Kofi if Ghanaians did not show love for our country and protect it for our future kids and unborn by voting out careless NDC wicked criminal administration of better government we all doom because you leave in you house and somebody will come an evict you from your own home.

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