Chiefs hold consultative Dialogue Forum to stop Illegal logging and mining In Gonjaland

The King and Overlord of the Gonja Kingdom, Yagbonwura Tutumba Sulemana Bore Esa (I) stated on authority that the Chiefs and people of Gonjaland are willing and ready to be part of fighting illegal logging, commercial charcoal production and illegal mining (Galamsey) in the Savannah Region. 

He further stated that the Gonja Kingdom refusal to end such a menace would be failing the founder Sumaila Ndewura Jakpa and other ancestors who fought selflessly to secure the present-day Gonjaland for his people.

The Yagbonwura revealed at a Regional Consultative Environmental Dialogue Forum held at Damongo on Thursday, April 22, 2021, which brought together all Paramountcies together all Paramount chiefs, the security agencies and other government departments in the Savannah Region.

According to him, it is a strategic forum that will serve as the roadmap in fixing the environment back to its normalcy.

He explained that Sumaila Ndewura Jakpa the conqueror pronounced a son as the Chief in any village or community he conquered and this led to the birth of 20 strategic Paramountcies that make up the present-day Gonja Kingdom.

However, it is sad and indescribable how the vegetation cover of the hard-earned Kingdom is mishandled especially in matters of illegal logging and glare commercial charcoal burning activities taking place in the kingdom, he lamented.

"The illegal rosewood logging, commercial charcoal burning and mining activities in the Region are currently being carried out by actors," he said.

"Our arable lands are being destroyed, water bodies colour keep changing, depletion of the ozone layer, severe rainstorms, thereby, exposing the human factor to all manner of environmental hazards and some of the effects of environmental destruction."

The King disclosed that recent rainstorms that hit the Savannah Region displaced about 1,313 people and rendered them homeless before appealing to all stakeholders to contribute their quota to help stop the menace.

“I call on our revered Paramount Chiefs and key stakeholders as a matter of urgency to, consider the issues and advise the traditional leadership and stakeholders how to anchor the situation in other for posterity not to judge us” he emphasized.

Yagbowura Bore Esa (I) cautioned that the action to stop the destruction of the environment is non-political.

“This crusade is not political, the crusade is wearing patriotic lenses and must be seen and approached as such”.

He called for total support of the security, traditional authorities, sons and daughters of the region, Regional Minister, MDCEs, MPs, opinion leaders, youth groups to help save the environment from danger and untimely collapse.

He added that a communique of comprehensive strategies to nip the environmental canker in the bud will be issued in due course by the Gonja Traditional Council.

The Regional Minister for the Region Honourable Saeed Mauzu Jibril said the government of Ghana will soon complete the registration of all people involved in illegal mining(Galamsey) into Community or Small Scale Mining groups to help the Chiefs and people of the Region benefit from the numerous gold and other natural resources on the land.

Honourable Saeed Muhazu assured the youth that plans to regulate the activities of illegal mining in the Region are intact and soon the Chiefs and people of the area will start realizing the real value of the natural resources we have on our lands.

  Abdul Sammed Gurundari Savannah Region