The Nungua Mantse, Oboade Notse King Professor Odaifio Welentsi III, has denied authorising the sale of any land or signing any document on the sale of land within the Sakumo Ramsar site, stressing that he remained committed to supporting the Forestry Commission and other state authorities to protect the internationally significant wetland and reap its ecological benefits.
The Nungua Mantse, who is also the President of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, subsequently dismissed claims that he had sanctioned the sale of any portion of the protected wetland.
“I have never authorised the sale of any land within the Sakumo Ramsar Site,” he declared during a consultative meeting between the Forestry Commission and the Nungua Traditional Council at the Nungua Mantse Palace on Thursday, July 9.
The engagement, which was spearheaded by the Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, Dr Hugh Brown, formed part of ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration between the commission and traditional authorities in the Sakumo catchment area to safeguard the ecological integrity of the Sakumo Ramsar Site and address the growing threat of encroachment.
The visit also sought to solicit the support of the Nungua Traditional Council in the protection and conservation of the Ramsar Site.
Context
Ghana became a signatory to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1988, which placed the Sakumo Ramsar Site under the protection and management of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission in 1999, making the Sakumo Ramsar Site a protected wetland of global ecological importance.
Beyond serving as a natural flood control system, the Ramsar Site provides a critical habitat for a wide variety of migratory bird species, making it an ecologically sensitive area of international importance.
It also plays a critical role in mitigating coastal flooding and sustaining local livelihoods.
In recent years, the wetland has come under increasing pressure from illegal encroachment, which has significantly undermined its ecological functions.
The wetland comprises both core and buffer zones, which have come under increasing pressure from illegal encroachment, particularly by estate developers and private individuals.
The Forestry Commission has implemented several measures to curb encroachment on the site, including the demolition of physical structures and public awareness campaigns.
Climate experts say the disruption of the natural ecosystem at the site has largely heightened the risk of flooding across parts of the Greater Accra Region.
Caution
The Nungua Mantse stated that although several land documents bearing what appeared to be his signature had surfaced, he had neither signed nor approved any such transactions.
He, therefore, cautioned members of the public against engaging with individuals or groups claiming to sell plots of land within the Ramsar Site.
Describing all such acts as fraudulent, he stressed that actions that sought to destroy the ecological integrity of the wetland would not be countenanced.
“I am committed to the conservation of the Ramsar Site because the protection of the wetland remains essential for the well-being of both present and future generations,” he said.
Unalloyed support
The Nungua Mantse assured the Forestry Commission that the Nungua Traditional Council would rally all of its subjects to jealously guard the Sakumor Ramsar site. “Nungua is our only homeland, and we have nowhere else to go; and that is why we must all support efforts to protect natural reserves that will make us live at peace with nature,” he said.
The Nungua Mantse reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to safeguarding the ecologically significant Ramsar Site, stressing that illegal encroachment on the wetland was a crime against nature.
Collective resolve
Dr Brown assured the Nungua Traditional Council of the Forestry Commission’s resolve to do everything possible to protect the Sakumo Ramsar Site.
He said the site was a significant resource with multiple benefits, indicating that while the core zone served as the principal water retention area, the buffer zone provided critical ecological support by absorbing excess water and protecting the integrity of the wetland.
Given the crucial role traditional authorities play as custodians of the lands in the country, Dr Brown said it was important for them to be an active part in efforts to preserve natural reserves, including wetlands.
He cautioned prospective land buyers against acquiring land within the protected area.
