The Chiefs and people of Sakote, a community in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region have expressed concern about the increasing rate of illegal felling of Rosewood in the area.
According to community members, inspite of the ban on the felling of Rosewood by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the illegal felling, harvesting and export of the wood has gone up significantly in the area.
For almost a decade, Illegal felling, harvesting and export of Rosewood have been carried out in some parts of the Upper East Region.
Notable among these communities are Fumbisi, Uwasi,Weisi, Doninga, Bachonsa, Kanjaga, Gbedembisi and Yepal all in the Builsa South District.
Other parts of the Talensi District now also report of illegal felling of rosewood.
The latest community to be added to the list is Sakote, in the Nabdam district.
Residents including chiefs and opinion leaders say the practice has over the years affected the rainfall pattern in the area.
GBC News checks made it clear that the perpetrators have been in the area for years and have already made away with significant quantities of the rosewood.
Residents say the perpetrators have even created paths in the forest to cart the wood. A resident at Sakote, Michael Mba, expressed concern about the situation and called on the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to intervene.
The Paramount Chief of Sakote Traditional Area, Naaba Sigri Bewong, who is the immediate past President of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs, called for thorough investigations by the BNI into the Illegal logging of Rosewood in the area.
Checks at the Upper East Regional Directorate of the Forestry Commission revealed that they have been informed of the ongoing illegal logging in Sakote but nothing has been done about it.
