Okyenhene supports Atiwa Forest Project

The Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, has reiterated his commitment to address some of the environmental challenges confronting the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area.

He has further indicated his support for the protection of the Atiwa Forest Reserve and the raising of its status to that of a national park. 

The Okyenhene said this during a courtesy call on him by a delegation from the Forestry Commission (FC); 

A Rocha Ghana, an environmental NGO, and civil society partners at the Okyenhene’s palace, Ofori Panin Fie, at Kyebi. 

Among others, the delegation discussed with the Okyenhene and his traditional council how best the Atiwa Forest could  be managed in the light of persistent illegal logging, deforestation and illegal mining, especially along major rivers and other water bodies in the area. 

Concern for environmental degradation

Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin commended the two bodies for their efforts to protect the environment and acknowledged that “our lives depend on nature so if we destroy nature, then we are destroying our very lives.”

He further bemoaned the level of environmental destruction as a result of galamsey activities in the area. 

The Okyenhene also recounted efforts he and his traditional council had made to tackle some of the environmental challenges, particularly, illegal logging and mining and stated that it had been almost 15 years since he started his campaign against environmental degradation in the Atiwa Forest and its environs.

In his remarks, Mr David Kpelle, Tourism/Commercial Manager of the Forestry Commission, said the support of the Okyenhene would be greatly beneficial in the collaborative forest management project being implemented by A Rocha Ghana together with the Forestry Commission and other civil society partners in the Atiwa Forest Reserve and surrounding communities. 

The National Director of A Rocha Ghana, Mr Seth Appiah-Kubi, presented a copy of the project’s document to the Okyenhene.