National anti-bushfire campaign launched at Adaklu-Anfoe

This years’ national anti-bushfire campaign was launched at Adaklu-Anfoe in the Adaklu District of the Volta Region on Friday, on the theme: ‘My Environment, My Life: Stop Bushfires Now’.

Mrs Adelaide Anno-Kumi, Chief Director of the Ministry of The Interior, launching the campaign, said that in spite of the discovery of oil in commercial quantities, agriculture remained the largest employer of the country’s population.

For that matter, she said, all must be done to save the forests and vegetative cover which supports agriculture and other economic activities.

Mrs Anno-Kumi cited Ghana’s cocoa, which she said was preferred to others globally, saying it was a national treasure, which had to be protected through vigorous and sustained anti-bushfire education, especially in the cocoa growing areas.

She highlighted the need to strengthen fire prevention volunteerism among the youth, and urged the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to adopt more innovative ways of motivating anti-bushfire volunteers.

The Chief Director noted that the government’s flagship policy of Planting for Food and Jobs was gaining significant momentum, and urged the GNFS to work closely with farmers to protect farms from bushfires.

Earlier, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, Regional Minister, entreated traditional rulers and the clergy to throw their weight behind the campaign, to educate the public on the need to protect the nation’s land and natural resources as sacred assets.

He pointed out that bushfires had contributed greatly to climate change and the changes in rainfall pattern saying “there is the urgent need for us to work assiduously towards achieving Goal 13 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which is to take action to combat climate change and its impacts”, the regional minister added.

The function was chaired by Togbe Agbobada, Dufia of Adaklu-Anfoe.

FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, ADAKLU-ANFOE