The Paramount Chief of Abease Traditional Council (ATC), Obrempong Kru Takyi II, has implored Ghanaians to support the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to protect the vegetation of the country against fires.
“As we are approaching the dry season, let us all guard our farms, forest reserves, warehouses, plantations and other properties from total destruction by wild fires,” he stressed.
Obrempong Kru Takyi stated this on Monday at a day’s validation workshop at Nkoranza in the Bono East region and organised by Tropenbos – Ghana on ending the perennial bush fires.
The workshop was attended by traditional authorities, the GNFS, the various Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) and personnel of other security agencies.
Obrempong Kru Takyi noted that human activities namely smoking, cooking, palm – wine tapping, and herdsmen were the main causes of bush fires during the dry season.
He cautioned hunters who intentionally set fire on forests and other vegetations to kill bush animals to stop, saying that “you must not destroy the ecology in favour of your selfish gains.”
The Paramount Chief urged farmers, Journalists, GNFS, the Environmental Protection Agency and other stakeholders, to intensify education on safeguarding the environment, for a brighter future.
Dr Isaac Nunoo, the Project Manager, Tropenbos-Ghana, said his outfit was an international organisation that supported locals and multi-stakeholder’s interventions on sustainable landscape in tropical forests.
He said Tropenbos international operated in three main thematic areas: community rights to forested lands, inclusive finance for sustainable landscape, and sustainable agro commodities towards climate-smart sustainable production models.
The project manager entreated the beneficiaries to disseminate the skills and knowledge learnt about roles and responsibility on protecting the transitional landscape, to benefit mankind and animal lives.
A beneficiary, Najat Ibrahim on behalf of the participants, pledged to support the education on bush fires saying that “we are all at risk.”
FROM EMMANUEL ADU GYAMFI, NKORANZA
