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Mr. Emmanuel Owusu Nkwantabisa, the deputy Eastern regional manager for the Forestry Services Division, has demanded that the clearing of Ghana’s forests and the contamination of water sources cease right away.
He asserted that the best course of action for preserving our forest for future generations is for everyone to work together and share responsibility.
After the commemoration of the International Day Of Forest, with the theme “Forest and Health,” in Koforidua on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, Mr. Emmanuel Owusu Nkwantabisa made the statement in an exclusive interview with journalist Kaakyire Kwasi Afari of Afeema FM.
According to the deputy Regional manager, the International Day of Forests, also known as World Forests Day established by the United Nations is celebrated each year on March 21 to raise awareness about the importance of forests and trees for the survival of humanity and the planet.
He told Kaakyire Kwasi Afari that Forests are crucial for the ecosystem and our survival, adding that It regulates the climate, purifies air and water, and provides food, medicine, and other resources.
The deputy regional manager took use of the occasion to appeal to security organizations, chiefs and elders, opinion leaders, and political figures for cooperation in the Commission’s efforts to protect the forests and bring violators to justice.
In accordance with this year’s Green Ghana Programme, he stated that on June 9, 2023, 600,000 trees will be planted in the Eastern region’s degraded forests.
He said that the project would support international efforts to reduce climate change and aid in the restoration of Ghana’s lost forest cover.
He has therefore urged all Ghanaians in the area and Ghana at large to support the government’s tree-planting initiative and that of the Forestry Commission.
Mr. Owusu Nkwantabisa bemoaned that the rate at which people invaded and degraded the forests, through illegal felling of trees, was seriously threatening the environment and vegetation, which could cause irreparable damage to health, he said
He did, however, caution the public to seek a permission from the Forestry Commission for adequate advice in order to conserve the forest for the future, especially those involved in charcoal burning and timber cutting.
According to Mr. Emmanuel Owusu Nkwantabisa, the Forestry Services Division in the Eastern area had caught several unlicensed chainsaw users cutting down commercial trees through routine surveillance and had taken them to court.
Due to these factors, he had strongly advised illegal chainsaw users to stop their behavior and warned that his troops would arrest them.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com/Kaakyire Kwasi Afari
