Three Municipal and District Chief Executives along the Volta Lake in the Eastern Region have collectively endorsed the Volta Lake Timber Salvation Project as very crucial and of economic importance to the communities and region, hence urging the State to continue.
Mr.Simon Kwaku Tetteh, Municipal Chief Executive for Lower Manya, Mr. Samuel Kwame Agyekum, District Chief Executive for Asuogyaman and Mr. Felix Nartey Odjao, District Chief Executive for Upper Manya made the observation after a visit to the operations centre of Dedeso Holding Incorporated, the company which is undertaking the project at Sedom-Yiti in the Asuogyamn District of the Eastern region.
The three state officials were convinced at the end of their tour that the benefits of Kete Krachi Timber Recovery Limited, which is the local entity and subsidiary of Dedeso Holdings undertaking the timber salvage project were greater than envisaged.
The Asuogyaman DCE, Mr. Samuel Kwame Agyekum said salvaging timber from the Volta Lake was in line with the National Development Agenda as it provides employment for the rural population as well as enabling the Lake to be used as means of Transport, aquaculture and recreation.
On his part, Mr. Simon Kweku Tetteh, the MCE for Lower Manya said the good thing about the Project was its ability to earn foreign exchange for the country and which goes a long way in improving the balance of payment of Ghana as a developing country.
Conducting the Chief Executives round the various operations and facilities at the Project site, Messrs Elkin Pianim, Chief Executive of Dedeso Holdings and Ali Marnah, Operations Manager said the company has the right and modern technology including sonar and cutting equipment together with bathymetric expertise to successfully salvage the timber without any environmental damage.
Mr. Elkin Pianim said the Company was also clearing and mapping navigation channels to enable the Volta Lake to become part of the transportation infrastructure, bridging the Northern and Southern regions of the country for rapid socio-economic and cultural growth. The firm, he added, could produce Ghana’s requirement of 240,000 cubic tons of timber a year ‘without cutting a single living tree’.
The visit to the DHI by the three Municipal and District Chief Executives was necessitated by a recent agitation by a group of Bamboo fishermen in the Manya Krobo District that the salvaging of the stumps in the Volta Lake was inimical to their fishing practice, an allegation vehemently denied by the company.
The Chief Executives pledged to collaborate with Dedeso Holdings to educate and sensitize the fisherfolks in communities along the Volta Lake to “allay their fears about their unfortunate impression that the company’s activities were inimical to fishing”.
Mr.Felix Nartey Odjao, the Upper Manya District Chief Executive, disclosed that he will submit the findings and observations of his team, on activities of Dedeso to the Eastern Regional Minister for his attention. The visiting delegation included Mr. Samuel Akor, the NADMO Coordinator for the area and other officials from EPA and the Forestry Commission.
