The Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, Mr. Abu Kansangbata, has expressed concern about how commercial charcoal production is taking center stage in the region, resulting in the destruction of economic trees such as dawadawa and shea trees. The practice, he said, has disastrous consequences not only on the environment, but also on the livelihood of the people since most people, especially women, get their source of income from such economic trees.

Mr. Kansangbata who expressed the concern during a general meeting of the Sissala West District Assembly in Gwollu, called on the Assembly to pass a resolution to ban the felling of economic trees for charcoal production.

He appealed to relevant stakeholders, including chiefs, religious and opinion leaders, to support the Assembly in that direction.

Mr. Kansanba announced that the Ministry of Local Government had procured the necessary equipment for distribution to Assemblies for the Street Naming and Property Addressing System, and appealed to the chiefs, Assembly members and all communities, to support the Assembly to ensure a successful exercise.

He also assured the house that by the end of this year the few communities left without electricity in the district would be connected to the national grid, to pave way for the setting up of light industrial establishments that can engage the people all year round to reduce rural-urban migration.

The Sissala West District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr. Moses Dramani Luri, announced that the Assembly for the first quarter of 2014 mobilized a total amount of GH?51,215 as Internally Generated Funds (IGFs), exceeding its initial target of GH?18,750 for the period.

He mentioned the formation of a revenue task force, training of revenue collectors, availability of transport, immediate release of percentage share of revenue collectors and unannounced visits by the revenue task force, as some of the measures that were being put in place to ensure the massive improvement in the IGFs.

The DCE also announced that the Assembly had received a total amount of GH?154,332.31 after deductions, as its share of the District Assemblies’ Common Fund (DACF) for the third quarter of 2013.

Other amounts received by the Assembly included the Member of Parliament (MP) Common Fund GH?27,199.71, Ghana School Feeding Programme GH?320,316.28 and the Ghana Social Opportunities Project (G-SOP) GH?145,547.98.

Mr. Luri said the Assembly had increased its support to teacher trainees from GH?300 to GH?500, with the number of beneficiaries also increasing from 18 in 2012 to 42 in 2013 with a target of 100 beneficiaries in 2014.

On the havoc caused by rainstorm to some basic schools in the district, the DCE said the Assembly has quickly responded by fixing the schools such as Duwie, Jeffisi, Tiwii and Fielmuo L/A at the cost of GH?52,000.

He called for continued cooperation and support from Assembly members, Chiefs and everybody in the district for the speedy development of the district. - See more at: http://graphic.com.gh/news/politics/22292-deputy-minister-laments-destruction-of-economic-tress-for-charcoal.html#sthash.5rv73Usf.dpuf