Ga-Adangbe state wants demoltion of buildings on Sakumo wetlands

Overlord of the Ga-Adangbe State, Klor-Lumor Borketey Laweh Tsuru,has called for the demolition of buildings on the Sakumo wetlands for the restoration of its ecology.

“I am challenging the Wildlife Department of the Forestry Commission and other relevant state institutions to demolish all structures on the wetlands. People in authority and institutions must first learn to obey the law to make the ordinary person law-abiding,” he said.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency at his shrine in Nungua, the Gorbu Wulomo Shitse (the High Priest) warned traditional leaders who were conniving with state institutions and individuals to balkanize the lagoon to stop the practice immediately.

According to him, traditional leaders around the wetlands had overstepped their boundaries and undermined the culture, traditions and spirituality of the people and warned of dire consequences.

He asked the officials of the Forestry Commission who were also involved in the illegal sale of land in the wetlands to desist forthwith and encouraged those seeking to enforce the law “not to be intimidated by the politicians, businessmen and women and civil servants who are doctoring official files and using all tools at their disposal to grab lands in the Ramsar site.”

The Gorbu Wulomo Shitse wondered why the Ghana government was so quiet on the destruction of the wetlands when it had voluntarily subscribed to the Ramsar convention which mandated it to protect and conserve such areas for ecological, economic reasons and human survival.

 “This is a special place endowed with all the ecological structures to serve as a habitat for rare and endangered species as well as a flood control mechanism. Even birds from abroad visit the place. Butterflies of all kinds are now being killed. The people can hardly get fish in the little pools of water that gather within the wetland as a result of pollution and obstruction of the feeder streams and other sources. Are we waiting for the obvious to happen before we start thinking about the usefulness of the wetlands?”

He said: “We need action to stop this rape and desecration. The rhetoric will not help. Enough is enough!”