Daryl Bonsu, the Deputy National Director for A-Rocha, an environmental NGO, has advised President Akufo-Addo to appreciate moral values and save the Atewa Forest Reserve from destruction.
Addressing the gathering at Ghana’s 67th Independence Day on March 6 in Koforidua, President Akufo-Addo courted support for the mining of bauxite in the Atewa Forest reserve pending court litigation
A Rocha Ghana, six other civil society groups and four private citizens are leading the legal challenge. The case, which was filed three years ago, made its way to the Accra High Court in February last year.
Daryl Bonsu, in an interview with Alfred Ocansey, host of TV3’s Ghana Tonight programme, stated, amongst other things, that his outfit will strengthen its case in court to ensure that no company gets access to mine in the forest reserved.
“There is no truth in the President’s saying that we can really mine the Atewa Forest for its significant growth for the people of the Eastern region and also to be able to bring development to that area. Now, if you understand what Atewa stands for, in the scheme of bauxite in this country, it is less than 20 percent of Ghana’s bauxite reserves,” he explained.
Read also:
“So we believe the President is missing out on appreciating what Atewa stands for and for me, I think he talks about if the litigation is out of the way, I think we are also hoping that we are going to have a very good suit at the court,” he stated, adding, “and this is something we are all hoping for…and beyond just the litigation phase, he [President Akufo-Addo] needs to appreciate the moral values in preserving Atewa Forest for what it is.”
He also reiterated A Rocha Ghana’s resolve to use all other avenues aside from the litigation in court to make sure that “no company gets that opportunity to come and damage and pollute our rivers and our source of water.”