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Wa, Ghana – Executive Director for Institutional Change and Economic Policy – Africa, Dr Yakubu Adams Sorekuong, has challenged leadership of the Wa East District Assembly in the Upper West Region to rise up and stop the harvesting of rosewood in the area.
According to him, the lack of political will from leadership in the Upper West Region and the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Wa East in particular, Moses Jotie, is to blame for the unending felling of trees in the district and other parts of the region.
Speaking to Radio Waa, a local radio station in Wa, Dr Sorekuong stated that “the political leadership is failing the region and the most painful thing is that the Wa East District Chief Executive, Jotie Moses is paying a deaf ear to this rosewood menace”.
He said it is about time leadership started finding innovative ways of raising revenue rather than engaging in agreements that will destroy the vegetative cover forever.
The Institutional Change and Economic Policy – Africa Executive Director further argued that the district has great potential to generate sufficient revenue to accelerate its development, but requires pragmatic and innovative leadership to realize that.
Dr. Yakubu Adams Sorekuong, a native of the district, witnessing the sad event on his return home in December last year is urging the traditional authorities and the youth to rise against harvesting of rosewood in their area.
He cited among other ills, the destruction of the vegetation which will soon make the land infertile for farming.
He added that the rosewood harvesters have succeeded in threatening the peaceful coexistence enjoyed by the people over the years, the more reason why everyone must rise to the occasion and nib the act in the bud.
He noted that poverty and ignorance are other causes, but said with self-discipline the fight can be won.
Dr. Sorekuong in his part has organized a number of press conferences in the Upper West Region and in Accra to address the rosewood canker and to educate people on the effects of deforestation.
It would be recalled that government in July 2017 issued permits to some companies to harvest rosewood from the Brong Ahafo, Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions. This was later suspended in December 2017 following calls from residents in communities where the menace was rife.
It is however sad to note that despite the subsequent ban on the activity, it still continues unabated in the Wa East District. This has led many people in the Upper West Region to call the district “Rosewood Hub”.
The effect of the rosewood business in the Wa East District is an eyesore. At a glance, one can see vast areas of land lying bare as a result of the business of rosewood.
It is common knowledge to residents in the region that the menace is still happening in various parts of the region as long vehicles are seen every other day lined up in various communities loaded with rosewood or awaiting for load. This further causes damages to the already deplorable roads in most parts of the region.
The Wa West District is also not spared as rosewood harvesting is taking place in Tokali, a community close to the Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary, and other communities. This threatens the life of the only tourist centre in the Wa West District.
By savannahnewsonline.com
