The Savanna regions of Ghana, which comprises of the Northern, Upper East, and Upper West Region and some parts of the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana is the most fragile, with limited rainfall, high surface temperatures and with very low vegetation density, making the savanna the most fragile ecosystem in Ghana.

In recent times, illegal timber merchants, working most times with the connivance of some forestry staff, and with support from some local chiefs have invaded the remnant forest patches in the savanna zone and felling and trading in Rosewood (Pterocarpus erinaceous) and Papao (Afizelia africana) and Mahogany all tropical hardwood species. The activities of these illegal timber operations in the savanna which has no history of logging is resulting in massive destruction of remaining vegetation and exposing the land and water bodies, worsening the already deplorable living conditions of people in these regions already considered as the poorest in Ghana. Massive logging is currently on-going in parts of Unprecedented environmental destruction is been perpetuated through the activities of massive logging in Bulsa South District and other districts in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Other districts seriously impacted by the logging include West, North, Central and Bole Districts of the Northern Region of Ghana without any abatement in sight, as more and more logging equipment are moved into the area.

These illegal logging activities is also paving the way for increasing activity of charcoal producers who are taking advantage of the breakdown in regulation and law within the forestry sector in these parts, to perpetuate their business at extensive scales.

The timber is mainly going to markets in China, and as result, there is an influx of Chinese business agents who are paying for the trade to continue unabated despite the announcement of ban in 2014 by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources. Clearly, some form of complacency on the part of political leadership and traditional leadership is contributing to the inability of authorized state agencies to exercise full powers to check this increasing impunity stripping the fragile landscapes of the savanna regions bare to the detriment of poor communities who barely have a say in what  is happening within their communities.

As concerned citizens of Ghana, we cannot allow these destructive activities to continue in the face of increasing vulnerabilities associated with climate change and environmental destruction. The remaining forests in these parts of the Ghana, remain the only last line of defense in building the resilience of the largely poor communities in these parts of Ghana, to the effects of climate change and environmental hardships.

Tell his excellency the President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, the Chief Executive Director of Forestry Commission and the Yagbon-wura Overlord of the Gonja Traditional Council as well as the three Regional House of Chiefs, to do the right thing for the people in these savanna landscapes by placing and enforcing a moratorium on illegal logging in the savanna zones of Ghana. Again leadership should harness all systems, legal and procedural statues to curtail all abuses of the present ban on logging of Rosewood and other tropical hardwood species and finally ensure the rights of communities in these parts of Ghana to a save and secured environment is protected now and for the future.

These wide spread environmental destruction in the savanna of Ghana must stop, else we are all in the near future going to grapple with serious immigration of people (environmental refugees) from the savanna to the south in search of greener pastures, just as we witness pastoralist herdsmen’s moving across the region in search of green pastures.  Again worsening climatic conditions is already impacting negatively on the largely agrarian economies in the savanna zones of Ghana, Leadership cannot afford to watch unconcerned and allow these illegal merchants whose only motivation and interest is to make huge financial profit at the expense of the poor masses whose daily livelihoods depend on a healthy environment.