Sandema (U/E), June 06, GNA – The Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission (FC) has commissioned a seven member Executive Committee at Sandema in the Builsa North District of the Upper East Region under the Community Resource Management Area (CREMA) concept.
CREMA is a geographically defined area where one or more communities agree to manage their natural resources in a sustainable manner.
The executives and members of the Committee are drawn from communities in the Builsa North, Kassana-Nankana West and Builsa South known as BULKAWE.
The seven-member Executive Committee has Naab Owen Agriwie, as the Chairman; Mr Godwin Anambiok, Vice Chairman; Mr Robert Awaankaa, Secretary; Mr Moses Minkara, Financial Secretary; Mr Thomas Aniesu, Organiser; Mr Listowel Builsah Anab, Vice Organiser; and Madam Lydia Amoanab, the Treasurer.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Joseph Binlinla, the Upper East Regional Manager of the Wildlife Division of the FC, advised the Executives of the Committee to work to ensure that resources around the demarcated areas were properly managed to serve present and future generations.
He said there were six CREMAs formed across nine Districts and eleven traditional areas within the Western Wildlife Corridor to link Nazinga Game Ranch in Burkina Faso and the Mole National Park in Ghana.
“We intend to replicate same in other Regions depending on the availability of funds. The vision of the Forestry Commission is to get every community across the country involved in the management of their own natural resources and if they take interest in the management of their own natural resources, they would derive the benefits associated with natural resource management”.
The programme is being supported by the World Bank through the Global Environmental Facility (GEF).
The Regional Manager later presented the BULKAWE CREMA Constitution and a brand new Yamaha AG motorbike to the Chairman of the Committee to facilitate its work in the District.
Mr Samuel Osman Sibeko, the Builsa North District Coordinating Director, who addressed the ceremony on behalf of Mr David Afoko, the District Chief Executive of the area, urged the Executive and members of the committee to regard the natural reserves in the District as their own and protect it.
“Do not sit for your resources to go waste that is why we selected you within the communities. When you deplete the natural resources, it comes with lots of negatives,” he said.
He advised them to channel their grievances and report persons who destroy the natural resources to the appreciate quarters for redress, and not take the law into their own hands, and further encouraged them to work in unity to the benefit of the communities.
The Divisional Chief of Balansa and Chairman of the Committee, Naab Agriwie, said it was incumbent on residents of the area to protect their natural resources, “The creation of CREMA through the Forestry Commission is timely and we appreciate it.”
He thanked leadership of the FC and gave the assurance that they would work to protect the natural resources in the area.
The rest of the members of the BULKAWE Committee apart from the executives include Madam Clementina Akumkadai, Madam Alice Apam, Mr Mark Anpanfiik Adaatusidi, Mr Alhassan Abayom, Mr Anyechaab Afondek, Madam Ayitra Asauyoklinkaru and Madam Talata Apung.
GNA