By Emmanuel Mensah-Abludu
The Kojokperi Traditional Council has taken a bold step to protect the environment by banning illicit hunting in the traditional area.
The move is to counter the alarming rate of wildlife depletion in the Kojokperi enclave.
The Chief of Duang, Kuoro Sumaila Tambogikuon, who read the statement on behalf of the Paramount Chief of Kojokperi, Kuoro Musa Nadi Kibei, declaring the ban, left no room for excuses. Kuoro Tambogikuon spelt out the concerns of the Kojokperi Traditional Council, emphasizing that all forms of illicit hunting were a no-go within the Kojokperi Traditional Area.
This included the use of unlicensed firearms, chemicals, traps, and other destructive methods that pose a threat to wildlife. He stated that sacred groves, community-protected lands, and farms are strictly off-limits, and added that the sale of bushmeat from illegal hunting is equally prohibited.
Touching on sanctions, Kuoro Tambogikuon said anyone caught engaging in illicit hunting would face confiscation of their gear, traditional sanctions, fines, and possible prosecution under Ghana’s laws.
According to the Kojokperi Traditional Council, it was compelled to ban illicit hunting as a result of an increase in unlawful hunting activities in forests, farms, and surrounding lands. It noted that hunting and grazing activities pose serious threats to wildlife conservation within the Gbele Resource Reserve, environmental sustainability, and the safety of communities in the Kojokperi Traditional Area.
Residents and visitors alike were admonished to take note of the new rules regarding the ban and comply in their own interest.
The Traditional Council appealed to all communities to join forces in exercising a collective responsibility to protect the environment and wildlife.
The Park Manager of the Gbele Resource Reserve, Dr. Polycarp Wulderfaar Maabier, on behalf of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, commended the Kojokperi Traditional Council for the initiative. He indicated that the support from the Chiefs and people of the Kojokperi Traditional Area will enhance the work of the Wildlife Division in protecting flora and fauna in the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa District (DBI).
Dr. Maabier observed that section 18 of the Wildlife Resource Management Act 2023, Act 1115, calls for the involvement of traditional authorities in managing protected areas and off-reserve areas (CREMAs), saying the ban by Kojokperi Traditional Council is a practical example that is in tandem with the law.
He told the gathering that through Community Resource Management Areas (CREMAs), they have been able to establish 244,000 hectares across the three political districts [DBI, Sissala West Municipality, and Sissala West District] that the Wildlife Division works in within the Upper West Region, adding that the portion of DBI’s contribution is 25%, with eleven (11) communities actively participating.
Some residents of Kojokperi, who spoke to the GBC on the sidelines of the event, indicated that they consider the Traditional Council’s move as “a win for environmental protection and sustainability.” They pointed out that the presence of representatives from a number of communities under the Kojokperi Traditional Area showed the chiefs are committed to preserving their heritage and natural resources for future generations.
The Kojokperi Traditional Council’s bold step is likely to have a ripple effect, inspiring other communities to follow suit and take conservation seriously.
The event at Kojokperi coincided with the celebration of the 2026 World Wildlife Day, themed: “Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods.”
