Tour Guide, Accra, Ghana
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Sissala West District: Gbelle Resource Reserve and Other Bodies Hand Over Excavated Crocodile Pond to Wuljua Community in Gwollu
It took a collaborative effort by four entities comprising two state-owned and two private bodies to get a crocodile pond engulfed with a high amount of mud in Wuljua community of Gwollu. Gwollu is the capital town of the Sissala West District in the Upper West Region.
The short handing over ceremony of the desilted or excavated crocodile pond took place in the morning of 30th April 2020. The short but colourful event saw in attendance, the D.C.E for Sissala West Mohammed Zakaria Bakor, his Coordinating director, The Gbelle Resource Reserve park manager and three of his staff, Mr Zuberu representing forestry commission, the contractor Mr.Abu B.Y, the Presiding member Mr Ali Tahiru, the Assemblymember for the area Mr Gbammie Lukman, a team led by Mr Latua Bassing representing Sissala West Tree Growers Association, elders of the community and all other persons.
Speaking to this news portal on how the whole idea came about, the park manager in the person of Dr.Nana Owusu Ansah said, his outfit (Gbelle Resource Reserve) had a visitation from Sissala West Trees Growers Association led by Mr.Latua Basing affectionately called Sasco, who drew their attention to the sorry state (almost getting swallow up by mud) of the crocodile pond and how urgent attention is needed to safeguard the pond and thus the colony crocodile.
In the end, Management of Gbelle Resource Reserve then had to liaise with a contractor by name Mr.Abu B.Y who had earlier on executed the Gbelle Community resettlement project, to take up excavation of the muddy pond as part of his social corporate responsibility since that would be the urgent available option to safeguard the habitat of the crocodiles. This proposal to the contractor received a positive response and hence, necessary consultations with the Sissala West District were done for the execution of the project on the pond. Both the Gbelle Resource Reserve and the Sissala West District played a supervisory role in the execution of the project.
In Dr Nana Owusu Ansah’s speech, He commended the tree growers association for that patriotism and admonish on all present to emulate same. He added, by expressing his gratitude to the contractor for the gesture and also thanked the assembly for the support.
The park manager in his speech also did promise to liaise with sister institution the forestry commission to make available some sidling’s of trees and anti-erosion grass to be planted around the pond for this will help reduce evaporation and also provide some shade for the crocodile to take in air. He concluded by entreating the community folks to take up the project as in the near future, tourists would start visiting the place and hence they make a living out this. He also disclosed to organizing a meeting with the elders of the Wuljua community to document on the history behind the crocodiles as part of marketing the site to tourists.
The D.C.E in his presentation expressed his gratitude to all that saw to the execution of the project and also hastened to admonish on the community folks to take good care of the site as it is a tourist site and would fetch income should tourists start visiting. He also expressed his commitment to support such projects should his outfit be called upon.
Speaking on behalf of the community, the Assemblymember for the area Mr Gbemmie Lukman expressed his utmost gratitude to all partners who played a key role in the project execution of the project. He expressed their willingness to support and exhibit a sense of ownership of the project.
Mr Asari a staff of Gmae and Wild Life Division of the Gbelle Resource Reserve during the event took spectacular pictures were with the help drone belonging to the Gbelle Resource Reserve which caught the attention of on-lookers especially kids around the scene.