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Residents of Aburumase in the East Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region are demanding the immediate transfer of a police officer, Chief Inspector E.K. Mensah, from the Abrumase Police Station.
They accuse the said police officer who has been in the area for the past 15 years of engaging in illegal rosewood harvesting, commercial charcoal burning and other social vices.
In a video that went viral, several bags of charcoal and wood were captured at the Abrumase Police Station with the said officer and the community asking the officer questions about the charcoal and wood deposited at the police station while calling on the Savannah Regional Police Command to immediately transfer the officer.
The local Chairman of the Gonjaland Youth Association in the area told 3news.com that the community is fed up with the illegal dealings of the police officer.
“His continuous stay in this community is a disservice to us and all we want is for him to be transferred immediately.”
Meanwhile, the Salaga District Divisional Police Command has commenced investigations into the matter.
The police has since invited the aggrieved residents captured in the video and the said police officer to the Salaga District Police Command to assist in investigation.
Fight against logging and commercial charcoal burning
In April 2017, the Gonja Traditional Council, following an extraordinary traditional council meeting in Yapei, declared a total ban on logging and commercial charcoal burning across all traditional areas in Gonjaland.
In 2019 after the creation of the Savannah Region, the Savannah Regional House of chiefs and the Savannah Regional Security Council (REGSEC) constituted a committee chaired by Bolewura Kutugefeso I to deal with the menace.
During that period, several trucks loaded with charcoal and heaps of logs were intercepted and seized by a task force.
However, the activities of the community was halted following some political and traditional interference.
The Gonjaland Youth Association and Jaksally, a non-profit organization, have over the years provided technical and financial support to dealing with the menace.
Programmes Coordinator Jaksally Jeremiah Seidu described the fight against illegal logging and commercial charcoal burning as a knee jerk approach.
“I believe that we need to change our methods of fighting this menace if indeed we mean business. We can’t be fighting with other interest, we must go all out.”
By Christopher Amoako|3news.com|Ghana
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