News
Two timber firms depleting the Tindibu Forest Reserve at Tsyome-Sabadu
The two licensed timber firms (name withheld) operating in the Tindibu Forest Reserve at Tsyome-Sabadu in the North Dayi District of the Volta Region are not felling only the Teak trees they were licensed to cut, but other trees as well.
This was disclosed to The Spectator at Tsyome-Sabadu a fortnight ago by the assemblyman, Mr Amedor Senyo Dzamposu.
According to him, they were also felling other trees which were not stipulated by their licences.
For instance, Mr Dzamposu said, the merchants were also vigorously harvesting Wawa, Rosewood and Odum trees with impunity although their licences permitted them to cut only teak trees in the reserve.
He said that it was high time the merchants committed resources and zeal to a re-afforestation plan in the reserve to save it from turning it into a desert.
“The rate at which they cut the trees in the reserve without replacing them is, indeed, scary,” Mr Dzamposu complained.
He said in additon, the two timber firms have not paid the agreed royalties to the seven families who own the land, since 2011.
He recalled that in 2011, the merchants harvested 1,500 teak trees in the reserve, saying the increase to more than 4000 last year was great cause for concern.
The assemblyman said that it was only proper for the merchants to pay the royalties due the land owners for goodwill to prevail between them and the community.
He revealed that last year the merchants harvested more than 4,000 teak trees from the forest and paid a paltry GHS 3,100 to the traditional authorities in social responsibility.
The impoverished land owners are now crying for their due from the forest in which the Indian merchants enrich themselves in superlative terms on daily basis, said Mr Dzamposu.
He renewed his call on the government to intervene in the matter as and help to form fire volunteer and afforestation brigades to protect the forest, in which illegal timber racketeers were now carrying out their despicable activities at night and rapidly depleting the vegetative cover.
From Alberto Mario Noretti, Tsyome-Sabadu
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana has signed a debt restructuring agreement with the Kingdom of Belgium as part of efforts to restore the country’s economic stability after the financial crisis that hit the nation in 2022 and 2023.
The Minister of Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, today disclosed that he signed the agreement on behalf of the Government of Ghana.
He explained that Ghana experienced a very difficult period during the crisis, which forced the government at the time to declare a debt default.
However, he indicated that the country is now recovering and witnessing a significant economic turnaround.
According to him, stronger systems are also being put in place to ensure that Ghana does not return to such a situation again.
Dr Forson noted that the agreement with Belgium is the eighth deal Ghana has concluded with countries under the Official Creditor Committee as part of its external debt restructuring programme.
He expressed appreciation to the Government of Belgium for its support and partnership with Ghana during the process.
The Finance Minister thanked Carole van Eyll, Ambassador of Belgium to Ghana, for her role in strengthening relations between the two countries.
The agreement forms part of Ghana’s broader effort to restructure its external debts and stabilise the economy following the crisis.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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