Chief Fire Officer calls on traditional rulers to leverage high office to support bushfire prevention

Madam Daniella Mawusi Ntow Sapong, Chief Fire Officer (CFO) of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), has called on traditional rulers across the country to use their high and revered offices to support the National Bushfire Prevention Campaign in their respective jurisdictions.

The CFO noted that traditional rulers remain custodians of the land and wield enormous influence over community behaviour, land use and enforcement of local norms.

"Chieftaincy is a powerful institution. When a chief speaks against bush burning, the community listens. We need you to use your high office to ban indiscriminate burning, activate traditional bye-laws, and mobilise your subjects to become anti-bushfire ambassadors," the CFO stated.

The CFO made the call during a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of Atebubu Traditional Area, Ohempon Dr. Yeboah Asiamah, as part of the activities for the national launch of the 2026/2027 National Bushfire Prevention Campaign at Atebubu in the Bono East Region.

The 2026/2027 National Bushfire Prevention Campaign was at Atebubu Durbar Grounds in the Bono East Region, on behalf of the Minister for the Interior, Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak (MP), on Friday, September 25, 2026.

The 2026/27 National Bushfire Prevention Campaign is on the theme: "Bushfire Prevention: A collective action for sustainable environmental development and a greener Ghana."

CFO Ntow Sapong, during discussion with the Paramount Chief of Atebubu Traditional Area, explained that bushfires continue to destroy farmlands, degrade lands, destroy property and worsen climate change, and that combating the menace requires collective action led by traditional authority.

The CFO added that GNFS cannot succeed alone and that the active involvement of paramount chiefs, queen mothers, and divisional and sub-chiefs is critical to sustaining the campaign beyond the launch.

Ohempon Dr. Yeboah Asiamah, in his response, commended the GNFS for choosing to organise the national launch at Atebubu, describing it as a great honour to the people of Atebubu.

He said the Bono East Region, being largely agrarian, bears the brunt of bushfires annually, and hosting the national launch would create the needed awareness to curb the practice.

The Paramount Chief of Atebubu pledged his personal commitment and that of the Atebubu Traditional Council to support the campaign, adding that he would use his office as a paramount chief and his network to encourage other paramount chiefs in the Bono East Region and beyond to join the crusade.

"I pledge to support this campaign fully. I will rally my divisional chiefs and fellow paramount chiefs to ensure we protect our lands from bushfires. Our environment and our livelihoods depend on it," Ohempon Dr. Asiamah said.

He assured the GNFS of the Traditional Council's readiness to provide community platforms, gong-gong beating and durbars for intensive sensitisation.

Present at the courtesy call were members of the GNFS National Management Board, the Bono East Regional Fire Commander, senior officers of the Service and elders of the Atebubu Traditional Council.

Meanwhile, the Interior Minister, in a speech delivered on his behalf, said over the decades, bushfires have destroyed farmlands, economic trees, forest reserves, properties, and water bodies and threatened food security and biodiversity.

The minister reminded Ghanaians that environmental protection is not the sole responsibility of any particular institution but that all have a role to play in preserving the environment for future generations.

"We must all become active partners in bushfire prevention. Environmental protection is not for GNFS alone, nor for the Forestry Commission alone, nor for EPA alone. It is a shared responsibility for every Ghanaian," he stated.

"When we allow bushfires to burn our grasslands and destroy our cashew farms, yam farms and forest reserves, we are not only polluting the air, we are destroying our food systems, we are destroying our water bodies, and we are destroying our future," he said.

According to him, bushfire prevention is central to this agenda, and without aggressive prevention, tree planting and afforestation programmes will be undermined by annual fires.

He said the government also recognises the constraints of the service and assured GNFS of the government's continuous support with equipment and capacity-building programmes to enhance their operational effectiveness.

"We are aware of your needs - fire tenders, personal protective equipment, rapid response vehicles, communication gadgets and training. Government will continue to support you with equipment and capacity-building programmes to enable you to deliver on your mandate," he assured.

The historic launch was chaired by Nana Owusu Sakyi III, President of the Bono East Regional House of Chiefs, and was attended by the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) of GNFS, Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO) James Oheneba Yaw Kwateng, Director of Logistics; DCFO Frederick Ohemeng, Director of Rural Fires; and DCFO Jerry Harding-Bruce, Commanding Officer, GNFS National Headquarters, as well as other heads of departments and regional commanders.

Others include the National Bushfire Prevention Campaign Stakeholders Planning Committee, represented by Mr Kofi Baffour Sencherey from the National Insurance Commission; Mr Francis Ameyibor, Executive Director, Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult); sister security services; chiefs and queen mothers; religious leaders; Fire Volunteers; students; farmers; and market women.

The GNFS acknowledged and commended the National Insurance Commission, Forestry Commission, Zonda Tec Ghana Limited, Crocodile Company, Tropenbos Ghana, and Glico Life for their remarkable support of the bushfire prevention campaign.