Mahama: My government would give chiefs more authority to safeguard our forests.

 

John Dramani Mahama, the former president, gave the Chiefs assurances that they would have legal authority to oversee and safeguard the forest reserves throughout his presidency. 

According to him, the chiefs will work with the Forestry Commission to administer and safeguard the forest.

This came about as a result of a complaint from Okatakyie Kwasi Bumangama II, the Chief of Sefwi Wiawso in Ghana's Western North Region, regarding the removal of the traditional authorities' management authority over the forest reserves and their transfer of that authority to the Forestry Commission alone.

Okatakyie Kwasi Bumangama observed that when the chiefs' role in managing the forest was eliminated, the rate at which illegal small-scale miners were destroying the forest increased.

“The power to protect the forest is no longer with the chiefs, it has been given to the Forestry Commission. Previously, the management of the forests was entrusted into the hands of the chefs, but that power has been taken away from us and given to the Forestry Commission. Since then, the forest has been destroyed,” he made this statement in conversation with Mr. Mahama when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer paid him a visit during the latter part of his "Building Ghana Together" tour. 

 “I am glad you have visited me in my palace. Let me make this point that politicians have taken the powers of the chiefs, who are now powerless to the extent that people I summon to appear before me even threaten to take me to court, but this was not the case in the past." he added.

 Former president Mahama responded to him by saying “If we come into the office we will have meetings with chefs and see how best we can empower them to protect the forests.

“We need to pass a law that will give powers to the chiefs and the Forestry Commission to work together to protect our forests. This will ensure the protection of our forest. Government alone cannot protect the forest, sometimes officials even connive with the galamseyers to destroy the forest.”