The Paramount Chief of the Pulima Traditional Area in the Sissala West District of the Upper West Region, Kuoro Osman Deiwia Nankpa III, has banned the cutting and using of shea butter and dawadawa trees for charcoal.
The ban, which took effect from Saturday, February 25, 2023, was announced during the celebration of this year’s Gandawii Nabahilme festival in the Sorbelle community over the weekend.
According to the Paramount Chief of Pulima Traditional Area, this initiative is to curb the gradual depletion of the region’s forest cover. In a keynote address read on his behalf by the Sissala West District Chief Executive, Aisha Batong–Hor, the Upper West Regional Minister, Dr Hafiz Bin Salih stated that the current vegetation reduction is another security threat that needs to be tackled head-on.
He added that the current change in rain and weather patterns is due to human activities.
A 46-year-old charcoal burner who spoke to the media said the decision by the chiefs to ban the use of dawadawa and shea trees for charcoal was good, even though it might not be favourable to people in the charcoal business.
Meanwhile, there have been calls for the protection of economic trees in and around the savannah and northern ecological zones.
The Paramount Chief of the Bole Traditional Area, Bolewura Safo Kutuge Feso I, once indicated how Rosewood, Shea Butter trees, and Dawadawa trees amongst others are of monetary value to the region.
At a stakeholder dialogue on the environment held at Bole in Bole District of the Savannah Region on the theme,” Enhancing the protection and conservation of Rosewood and other Economic Wood lots, around the Savannah Region,” the Bolewura lamented the extent of rosewood harvesting and commercial charcoal burning in the region, describing it as a “regrettable collusion”.
The dialogue which was organized by Jaksally Development Organization in collaboration with Arocha Ghana, Northcode, various MPs and MMDCEs in the region and Social Initiative for Literacy and Development Programme among others brought together key stakeholders and various players in the environmental protection value chain to deliberate on the way forward out of the twin evils of rosewood harvesting and commercial charcoal burning.
The Bolewura expressed his commitment towards the protection of the environment, adding that,”…when I mounted the skins barely one and half years ago, my first policy was that I wrote a letter, circulated it to all concerned banning felling of trees, charcoal burning and other related wood
According to the chief, the continuous cutting down of economic trees such as shea nut, Dawa Dawa, and rosewood can be blamed on the poor supervision by the Forestry Commission and the powers that be who, instead of enforcing the law are rather emboldening the buyers and promoting the destruction of the environment and forest resources.
He was, however, hopeful that with a concerted effort and effective collaboration between religious leaders, the media and other well-meaning stakeholders, we can win the fight against illegal logging and commercial charcoal burning in the region.
