Savannah Regional Minister to meet chiefs over logging, charcoal burning and illegal mining

Savannah Regional Minister Hon Saeed Jibril Muhazu has disclosed to the people of the Savannah Region that he will be meeting with all the 19 Paramount Chiefs in the Savannah Region to engage them on the menace of all environmental destruction, especially illegal logging and commercial charcoal.

He added that mining areas in the Savannah Region will equally not be left out as measures would be put in place to check their activities to make sure it benefits the people.

Addressing the media on 9th April, 2021 after the Australian High Commissioner to Ghana His Excellency Gregory Andrews handed over field equipment to the Mole National Park in the Savannah Region, the Minister disclosed that the engagement with the Chiefs is scheduled to take place on the 21st April 2021 after which the work of the task force will commence.

Mr Muhazu further stated that nobody would be spared regardless of the status in the region when caught in the act of destroying the environment and lamented about the warm weather condition and the delayance in rainfall all because of the felling of trees.

Mr Muhazu also used the opportunity to thank the Australian High Commissioner in Ghana for donating the equipment that includes high powered capacity drone, 20 GPS equipment, 30 camera traps, 2 desktop computers with rechargeable batteries, a photocopier machine, books and some personal protective equipment.

He said the field equipment presented to the park is very timely his office is also set to engage the Australian High Commission on issues of commercial wood logging and charcoal burning as to how to reserve our natural forest with assistance from Australia since they are experts in natural reserves.

Meanwhile, the field equipment donated to the park according to the minister would also help in tracking those involved in logging and high quantities of charcoal burning especially in areas closer to the park.

It will be recalled that the minister after he was sworn in last month gave a 30-day ultimatum to those involved in logging and charcoal burning in the region to end their activities as taskforce headed by the Savannah Regional Police Commander DCOP Mr. Enoch Adutwum Bediako to help in combating the menace in the region with the overlord of the gonjaland traditional area Yagbonwura Boresa Tutunba and other prominent chiefs in the region fully backing the move.