Stakeholders deliberate on by-laws to protect water bodies

State actors, including traditional leaders, have deliberated on how implementation of environmental by-laws could halt illegal activities along water bodies, particularly the Tano River in the Techiman Municipality in the Bono East Region. 

They also discussed how they can support the assembly to enforce existing by-laws to ensure environmental sanity in the area. The engagement was organised by EcoCare Ghana, an NGO, under its four-year landscape and environmental agility across the nation (LEAN) project.

It is being implemented by EcoCare Ghana and Tropenbos, and co-funded by the EU to support national efforts to conserve biodiversity. 

Caution

At the sensitisation forum at Hansua in the municipality last Wednesday, a private legal practitioner, Amadu Bermah Suleman, said persons who breached the bye-laws could be convicted or fined for not less than 100 penalty units and not more than 250 penalty units or imprisonment of not less than six months and not more than 12 months or both.

He, therefore, urged the public to abide by the assembly’s bye-laws in order to avoid prosecution. 

Concerns

The Project Coordinator of EcoCare Ghana, Enoch Danso Okyere, said the organisation had observed that the implementation of by-laws was a challenge to some assemblies. He urged assemblies to sanction offenders of bye-laws no matter their political affiliation to deter others from committing similar crimes.

The participants

Mr Okyere also appealed to traditional rulers not to interfere in such cases to ensure sanity in communities. The Bono East Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Anthony Duah, said bye-laws on conservation, preservation and protection of river bodies were in line with the agency’s mandate.

He also expressed concern over illegal activities along the Tano River which he said threatened its existence and would negatively affect livelihoods of people in the area. Mr Duah, therefore, urged the chiefs to collaborate with EPA and other stakeholders to implement their bye-laws to protect the environment.

Significance

The Chief of Hansua, Nana Apenten Fosu Gyeabour, said the meeting was relevant since it was about enforcing bye-laws to protect water bodies, particularly the Tano River, which is the main source of drinking water in the area.

He pledged the support of the traditional authority in the implementation of the bye-laws, and appealed to EcoCare Ghana to organise similar engagements in other parts of the country.

He also urged the media to take keen interest in such advocacy to protect the environment.

Writer's email: biiya.ali@graphic.com.gh