Actions Worthy Of Emulation

The youth of Bomaa in the Brong Ahafo Region have commenced a crusade worthy of emulation by others across the country.

A few days ago and as contained in one of the stories in this edition, the aforementioned youth stopped illegal chainsaw operators from carting away lumber from the location's forest cover. They are said to have been doing so for some time, a feat unusual in our part of the world.

Stopping illegal chainsaw operators from indiscriminate felling of trees and seizing the forest products is commendable.

The rate at which our forests are being ripped off by persons who, from all indications, do not appreciate the importance of these natural resources calls for concerted action to stop them.

The importance of our forests cannot be overlooked. Over the years they have been so much attacked that today there are only a limited number of trees standing. As for the effects of such massive destruction of trees without replacing them, the long-term repercussions are just scary; some species of these already becoming extinct.

Our forests are suffering what our rivers and land are doing at the hands of galamseyers in the gold bearing rivers and environment.

The rapid deforestation in the Northern parts of the country is one of the fallouts from the rape of our forests which we refuse to stop at our peril.

The response of the youth of Bomaa is suggestive of the fact that the business as usual approach cannot hold indefinitely. One day the youth of this country would rise against those who are engaged in the rape of our natural resources.

Indeed the youth of Bomaa have showed the way without any prompting from any quarters. That is the kind of patriotism which can transform this country and move her away from the daily whingeing.

Imagine the youth in galamsey prone areas rising against galamsey activities in the area. We would have already won the war against illegal mining and saved our environment from greedy youth who see nothing wrong with our now brownish water bodies and many pits left behind by advancing galamseyers.

How many persons think about the effects of the blatant destruction of our forests and are therefore ready to stop any acts that can deplete our trees further? There aren't many who can exude this quality. That is why we are where we are today still struggling to exit the state of backwardness in which we have found ourselves.

The youth of Bomaa love their country and the natural resources contained in it. Exercising their citizens' right to stop illegality, when they see it being committed, could not have been more manifest.

Their actions call for national recognition as a way of encouraging others to understand what patriotism is all about in a country where this virtue is close to becoming extinct.

When the spirit that has pushed the youth of Bomaa to do what they are doing today is extended to the rest of us, we would need less soldiers in the war against galamsey. We would then be, individually, protectors of our own country – ready to raise alarm when we spot mischief-makers destroying trees and the environment.