Council of State members of four regions in the north, namely Northern, Savannah, Upper East and Upper West, have commended the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs for banning all forms of logging and commercial charcoal burning.
According to them, the ban in the Savannah Region will bring to an end the destruction caused by the two activities in the environment.
The representatives led by the Tumu-Koro, Babini Kanton of the Upper West Region, noted a ban on illegal logging and commercial charcoal burning in the northern territory is long overdue.
He commended the Bolewura-led anti-logging committee of the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs for taking a bold decision in the fight against the degradation of the environment.
“We commend you Bolewura Kutugefeso and your committee members for your good work and to encourage you to do more to protect the land and environment against degradation for generations yet unborn.”
He called on the traditional authorities in other regions of the northern territory to follow suit.
“Let me appeal to the rest of the regions including my own region of Upper West to emulate the strategies by the Savannah Region to win the fight against environmental degradation.”
For his part, the Kpengri-wura, who is the representative of the Savannah Region, said the council of state members are first citizens and must be concerned about the development of their areas.
He said the members will support the traditional authorities through every means possible to win the fight.
“The Green Ghana Project will soon take effect and we will plant more trees while stopping the unwanted activities of logging and commercial charcoal burning.”
The Chairman of the Savannah Regional anti-logging committee, Bolewura Kutugefeso, expressed gratitude to the members for their foresight in the development of the five regions.
He is optimistic the ever-loving green vegetative cover of the Savannah Region will be restored.
The Council of State members also donated a bull and tubers of yam to the Bole District Hospital to feed patients on admission on Eid-ul Fitr day.
The fight against the menace
For the past eight years, Seidu Jeremiah, the Chief Executive Officer of Jacksally, a non-profit organization, has been leading the fight against illegal logging and commercial charcoal burning across the five regions of the north.
The organization has over the years engaged traditional authorities, opinion leaders, civil society groups and residents on the need to end the activities.
Ultimatum
In April this year, the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs in collaboration with the Regional Coordinating Council gave a three-week ultimatum banning illegal logging and commercial charcoal burning.
A stakeholders engagement was also held across the seven Municipal and District Assemblies in the region after a deadline of May 10 was unanimously agreed upon.
Appeal
Meanwhile, traders engaged in the charcoal business have appealed to government to intervene in the May 10 deadline.
They say they should be given up to June to move out from the region.
By Christopher Amoako|3news.com|Ghana