<<Print>>

The Municipal Chief Executive of the Offinso Municipality, the Forestry Services Department as well as the Forestry Commission have been accused of committing environmental crime against humanity for allowing political party  activists to descend on the Afram Headwaters Forest Reserve enclave to engage in farming activities.

According to some concerned citizens, about 1000 farmers who are known members of the ruling National Democratic Congress, (NDC), akin to the infamous scramble for Africa, have depleted the forest reserve due to their framing activities.

“They are felling trees, they are burning the bushes, and they are uprooting stumps. It is an eyesore. It is a crime against humanity. They are doing that all because NDC activists have mounted sustained pressure on the Assembly to allow them farm in the forest reserve”, a worried citizen told this paper in an exclusive interview.

The infamous decision to exchange the heritage of the people in the interest of a political party was taken on 8th April, 2016 in a meeting held at Abofour with the Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister Andy Okrah who prior to his appointment was head of human resource at the forestry commission, officials of the Forestry Commission, MCE of Offinso south present.

“The NDC gurus who are typically farmers and timber merchants have been pushing for this day so there was spontaneous joy when they realized that the pressure they mounted on the MCE had yielded fruits”, the source said further.

Ironically, the decision by the Commission to allow farming in the forest reserve was taken just two weeks before Ghana and 170 other countries made history with the signing of the Paris Agreement on climate change at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Indeed a  forestry related Non-Governmental Organisation, Resource Conservation Initiative (RCI) recently collaborated with the Forestry Commission of Ghana (FC) to plant more trees along the Afram River at Bepoase near Wiamoase in the Sekyere South District of Ashanti Region in order to protect the Afram River, and  enrich the forest reserve. In all, the tree planting which would last for 18 months will cover 50 hectares ultimately to control climate change and give relief to the people.

It seems the motive for the tree planting exercise has been defeated even before they start growing because of the decision to allow farming activities in the reserve.

Described as by far the largest number of countries ever to sign an international agreement on a single day, it sets the ambitious goal of limiting global warming to "well below" two degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. It also binds countries to the promises they made to cut greenhouse-gas emissions.

Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister, Ms. Hanna Tetteh signed for Ghana.

 In his remarks the UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban KI-Moon said “this is a very moving day for me personally. I am touched to see so much support and political momentum to move the Agreement forward. I thank all the world leaders who have come here to show their support”.

The next critical step, Mr. Ban KI-Moon indicated was to ensure that the Agreement enters into force as soon as possible, pointing out that "if all the countries that have signed today take the next step at the national level and join the Agreement, the world will have met the requirement needed for the Paris Agreement to enter into force. I encourage all countries to move forward to join the Agreement. In particular, I call on the countries gathered here today to use this opportunity to announce a timeline for joining the Agreement without delay".

In another international symbolism, the Head of an EU Delegation to Ghana, William Hanna, and the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Nii Osah Mills, on Friday, 9 October 2015, adopted a 200 year old tree in the Asenanyo Forest Reserve also in the Ashanti Region.

The two, were on a joint field visit in the Ashanti Region to assess the status of development of Ghana’s Legality Assurance System (GhLAS) and to clarify what remains to be done in order to issue Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) licenses. 

Ambassador Hanna and Minister Osah Mills inscribed their names on the three known locally as "Hyedua", popularly used for furniture, expressing their desire not to cut it down, but to preserve it. 

Probably they would inscribe their names on cassava sticks next time they visit the forest reserve since all the big trees would have been extinct.