Residents of the Savannah Region are worried following the return of full-scale commercial charcoal business with impunity. Many of the residents in the region are expressing disappointments in the traditional authorities and government for allowing the canker to resurface in the region after a ban was placed. The Savannah Regional House of Chiefs and the Regional Security Council banned logging and commercial charcoal production in the region on 30th May 2021. The ban meant transportation of such products out of the region was also prohibited. The ban on the activities Illegal logging, charcoal burning, fuelwood harvesting in the region formed part of measures geared towards preserving forest reserves as well as economically viable trees from being destroyed. It is estimated that, in five traditional areas in the Savannah Region, about 1,042,580 trees are destroyed within a year and the number of trees destroyed in the 21 paramountcies in the region translates to some 21,894,180 annually. These activities have resulted in the wanton depletion of the environmental cover in the region resulting in the recording of several cases of disasters, especially water shortages in the region. It therefore came as good news when the traditional rulers in the region came together to ban charcoal production. But, investigation by ghenvironment.com revealed that, charcoal production is back with impunity and big trucks are openly seen in most of the communities to load them, whiles the taskforce plays the ostrich.
Truck loaded with charcoal
Losing confidence in Green Ghana Project
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has declared June 10, 2022, as this year’s ‘Green Ghana Day’, to plant trees across the country as part of massive reforestation agenda of government which will see the planting of some 20 million trees across the country. The Savannah Region according to the Lands and Natural Resources Minister and Member of Parliament for the Damongo Constituency, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor has earmarked over 10,000 trees to be planted in the region after donating two pickups to the security services to help clamp down on the activities of tree destruction in the region. Residents in the region are therefore surprised that, after all the efforts being put in place to end the destruction of the forest cover in the region, activities of these illegal loggers are bouncing back in full scale. “I am very disappointed with our traditional rulers, regional minister and the Lands Minister for allowing this menace of charcoal production to bounce back after all the promises and initial action taken to clamp down on them”, an aggrieved resident said. The resident added “What therefore is the use of Green Ghana project when we are cutting the same trees that we are planting for charcoal production”. Another resident said, “A taskforce has been set up by the Chiefs to deal with this canker but here we are witnessing the destruction of our trees for charcoal burning and the taskforce is quite about it. It is a shame and it is my hope that, our Chiefs will come out quickly to stop it”.