The Regional Director of the National Youth Authority in the Upper West Region, Mr Amankona Ampofo has encouraged the youth to lead the campaign against bush fires and acts that are inimical to climate change.
He explained that to help improve upon climate change conditions and reduce human activities such as felling of trees, land degradation and bush burning that affected the climate, it was necessary for all hands to be on deck to solve the problem.
The Director said this when he delivered a speech at the first session of the 12th parliament of the Upper West Youth Parliament at Wa to discuss issues of sexual and reproductive health and other issues of national concern.
Mr Ampofo expressed concern about acts such as using fire to clear farm lands and bushes around residential apartments, hunting and charcoal burning were some of the risk factors for bush burning in the dry season.
“We just entered the dry season and sooner than later bush fires will set in across the region; we all have a responsibility to ensure that we stop bush burning, water pollution, among others to save the natural environment on which the entire ecosystem depend for survival,” he said.
In his opinion, stepping up education of residents in the region on bush burning would enhance awareness creation as well as remind them of the need to take caution before setting fire to the bush.
“Indulging in environmentally unfriendly practices destroy the natural environment and leads to unpredictable rainfall pattern, floods, rainstorm, among others consequences that have dire implications for current and future generations”, he expressed.
The Director also used the opportunity to register disquiet about activities of violent extremists in neighbouring countries and said the youth needed vigilance in order not to get recruited into such groups to foment trouble.
“There is a threat of global insecurity and violent extremism especially in the Sub-Saharan Region and West African in particular and Ghana is not an exception: young people are mostly vulnerable to such activities so we should take extra caution in that regard”, he said.
Mr Ampofo urged the youth to be positive vigilantes who will help fight against the infiltration of extremists instead of allowing themselves to be recruited as perpetrators of their heinous activities.
“I call on you all to be positive vigilantes in your various communities and support the ‘see something, say something campaigns campaign’, he added.
Adding his voice, the Staff Officer of the Regional National Fire Service (GNFS), DOIII Alexis Kodi Suonyiri reiterated calls on district and municipal assemblies to constitute bush fire control sub committees to support the work of the GNFS in checking bush burning.
FROM LYDIA DARLINGTON FORDJOUR, WA
