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Damongo, Ghana – Minister of the Savannah Region, Salifu Adam Braimah, has ordered the immediate closure of BrivyWells, a Chinese rosewood processing firm located at Yipala, a farming community near Damongo.
The company which is mainly into logging and processing of rosewood, exports the rare and expensive product to its home country, China.
Speaking to the media after inaugurating a nine (9) member committee whose mandate according to the Minister is to investigate factors that militated against the efforts made so far to eliminate logging and also find out roles played by individuals, groups, institutions including state institutions in aiding the situation.
The Minister said the committee is also expected to make appropriate recommendations to the Regional Coordinating Council.
Mr. Braimah expressed his disappointment and added that it is sad to note that the operations of Brivywells is on the blindside of stakeholders in the area.
Shocked at the number of logs being harvested at the site, the Minister said it hurts to still see residence of that community living in poverty while others are making huge sums of money and at the same time making the environment of residence highly unfriendly.
Mr. Braimah admitted that the task is challenging but promised the committee of his unflinching support.
Alhaji Bakari Sadique Nyare, former Chairman of Lands Commission and a member of the Committee thanked the minister for taking such a bold step.
According to him, in 2014, he solely commissioned a private individual to go into the activities of this logging menace even before the creation of the region and produce a document including pictures to see the way forward in ending the logging activities.
Alhaji Nyare pleaded with traditional authorities in the region to cooperate with the work of the Committee since that will enhance the smooth work of the committee and in the end benefit the entire region.
He also asked the Minister to support them in terms of the provision of security to make their work as a Committee easy.
Alhaji Nyare further assured the Minister that the Committee will do everything possible to address issues of logging since he is ready to support their work.
Members of the Committee are Samuel Yayu Tika, Deputy Minister of the Savannah Region (Chairman); Osman Mohammed Amin (Secretary); Sulemana Yusuf, MP Bole/Bamboi Constituency;
Alhaji Sadique Bakari Nyare; and Dramani Issahaku.
The rest are Sammy Wusah, former MP Damongo Constituency; Kipo Suyenzi, former DCE Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District and Habibu Muftawu, media expert and
Chief Kpengrewura Karimu.
The Minister later toured some logging prone areas in the Savannah Region including the Chinese company in Damongo where he ordered its immediate closure.
By Savannahnewsonline.com/Zion Abdul-Rauf/Nkilgi FM and pictures by Muftawu
