The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has intimated that the issue of encroachment on forest reserves and public lands in the Northern Region must be dealt with. This, he said, will help preserve these forest reserves.
During an engagement with the sector officials at the Northern Regional Coordinating Council,;he tasked officials of the three main agencies of the Ministry in the Northern Region to ensure an end to encroachment on forest reserves,;and to among others,; ascertain their welfare issues and address them.
“The matter to do with the encroachment of forest reserves in Tamale is a matter we have to deal with and deal with forcefully. We are told and it’s very evident that the forest reserves in the Tamale Metropolis are being encroached upon,;we cannot permit that.”
Samuel Jinapor
Mr. Jinapor appealed to them to work together with the Regional Minister and the Coordinating Council to bring an end to the menace,;which is at its preliminary stage “before it escalates into a national problem like that of the small-scale illegal mining.”
Regional Security Council to map out strategies
Addressing the Staff who were mainly from the Office of Administrator of Stool Lands,;Forestry, Lands and Minerals Commissions,;Mr. Samuel Jinapor disclosed that the Regional Security Council will soon map out strategies to clear off all the encroachers along the forest reserve to ensure the sustainability of Tamale.
Mr. Jinapor said the operations of the Northern Regional agencies is very crucial for the entire Northern sector. He explained that it is out of the parent region,;being the Northern Region, three new regions were birthed. As such, their functions and operations can and will have great implications on the output of work.
“Tamale is turning into the center of commerce for West Africa and as a result,;there is the need to preserve the public lands of Tamale and the Northern Region at large”.
Samuel Jinapor
He also assured them of interventions underway to ensure the welfare issues of the agencies are ironed out. As part of these interventions, the Minister disclosed that in the coming months, government will launch the Shea Plantation Scheme which will ensure the injection of some huge capital into the forestry sector.
Mr. Jinapor on behalf of the President Nana Akufo-Addo, expressed his gratitude to the officials for their hard work and assured them of his endless support.
“You can count on me as your Minister. I will back you throughout on all of this.”
Samuel Jinapor
Overlord of Dagbon pledges support
Meanwhile, the Overlord of Dagbon, Yaa Naa Abubakar Mahama II, has pledged his absolute support for the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in the fight against deforestation and illegal mining particularly in the Northern Ghana.
The Yaa Naa applauded the Minister for great strides attained in this fight so far, adding that, he will together with his subjects work to help the ministry achieve its mandate. The Overlord of Dagbon stated this when the Minister for Lands and Natural Resource and his entourage paid a courtesy call on him at Yendi in the Northern Region.
