Kojikperie Community enacts byelaws to protect environment

Kojikperi (UW/R)-Ghana, Feb 22, GNA – Kuoro Nadii Musah Koobei, the Chief and the Elders of the Kojikperi Community in the Daffiama-Bussie-Issah (DBI) District, have enacted byelaws to protect the community.
As part of the byelaws, the community banned activities of chainsaw operations, which was leading to deforestation of the vegetative cover and anyone who flouted it would pay a fine of GH₵2,000.00.
Kuoro Alhaji Yusuf Haruna, the Secretary to the Kojikperi Chief, read the byelaws with the corresponding charges during a community durbar.
The secretary said the action was to control the degradation of the environment and preserve the trees to withstand strong winds and erosion.
“The river remains the only source of water for domestic use and for other purposes. Anyone caught polluting the river with poisonous chemicals to fish would be fined and handed over to the security agencies for prosecution,” he said.
Kuoro Haruna warned against stealing of cows, sheep, goats and fowls as that had become rampant in the community, affecting people who had taken up rearing as a livelihood, adding that anyone caught would pay a spot fine of GH₵2,000.00.
“Herdsmen and owners of animals caught in the bush grazing during the night will be fined GH₵1,500.00 as that will be seen as a subtle way of destroying farmlands and produce,” he added.
The community had also banned all forms of entertainment except special social functions to prevent the youth from learning bad habits such as fornication, smoking, and alcoholism.
Other byelaws were the banning of herdsmen with over one hundred cattle from settling in the community to prevent the destruction of the forest cover and the water bodies.
The rest were the banning of bushfires and the felling of shea trees for charcoal, while tricycles were to pay a token before they could access the market to do business to generate revenue for the Assembly.
The security personnel at the durbar encouraged all persons in possession of unlicensed firearms to license them.
Mr Nadi Moro Sanda, the DBI District Chief Executive, commended the chiefs for coming out with those byelaws and assured them that they would be forwarded to the Regional Coordinating Council for gazetting.
He urged them to continue to keep the peace in the area and called on other communities to emulate the example.