The Wa East District Assembly in the Upper West Region has placed a ban on the illegal felling of rosewood and other tree species.
Similarly vehicles that load timber from the areas without permit would be impounded and owners made to face the full rigours of the law.
The district chief executive for Wa East, Mr Moses Jotie, who announced these at the second Ordinary Meeting of the assembly at Funsi, on Tuesday, said the move forms part of stringent measures to curb illegal logging and to help preserve and conserve the environment from further degradation.
The meeting was to, among other things, elect a new presiding member, discuss and adopt a working budget for the district to be implemented in the 2019 fiscal year, as well as discuss other projects necessary for the development of the district.
Wa East is one of the districts in the region where illegal felling of rosewood trees has gained notoriety for years now.
"Felling of rosewood and other species of trees in the district, with or without permit, is inimical to the development of the area and so the assembly will explore every available means to nib the practice in the bud," Mr Jotie stated.
Touching on other issues, he explained that the assembly was working at improving educational facilities to ensure quality education.
"Again, let me announce that projects such as the provision of furniture and the construction of a number of classroom blocks for basic schools to accommodate the increasing number of pupils in the district have been earmarked to start soon," Mr Jotie stressed.
He said the assembly was also supporting brilliant but needy students in the district to access higher education, indicating that last year, a total of GH?24,000 was disbursed to support 24 needy students at the tertiary level, comprising six females and 18 males, to access tertiary education.
For his part, the Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Hamidu Chinnia Isshaku appealed to the assembly members to be united in their activities so as to propel the development of the district.
He entreated them to focus on the development needs of the district rather than their individual interests saying, "We are one regardless of our political party affiliations and we must concentrate on the development of the district first before our individual interest.
LYDIA DARLINGTON FORDJOUR, FUNSI
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