Protect Mole National Park as heritage for future generations - Park Manager admonishes resource guards

Protect Mole National Park as heritage for future generations - Park Manager admonishes resource guards

The Park Manager for the Mole National Park in the West Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region, Ali Mahama, has called on resource guards to intensify genuine efforts at protecting the park as an important heritage for future generations.

At a refresher training for some 75 guards of the forestry commission deployed at the park, he said past generations fought very hard to establish and sustain the park to its current status and it was duty bound for the current crop of working staff not to dwindle the fortunes of the heritage won for all.

The training  was aimed at empowering the trainees with skills to help improve park protection and field activities.It was carried out with funding from the CITES-MIKE programme under a project titled “Protecting priority species of elephants and other target species at the Mole National Park.”  The Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants(MIKE)  programme was established by the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and is largely dependent on donor support with the European Union (EU) being the most important donor for the CITES-MIKE programme. 

“As the premier park in Ghana, it is necessary that such refresher training be organized to keep staff alert and in control of the protected area,” he manager said.

The Municipal Chief Executive for West Gonja,Musah Kusubari charged the forest guards of the park to endeavor at all times to protect the animals and plant species in the park.

The honorable MCE said the protection of the resources in the park was not negotiable to the workers whose livelihood was dependent on the existence of the very park resources, adding that,"without the forest reserve and without these animals and plant species,you wouldn't be here...".

He reiterated the fact that discipline and patience were key ingredients to success, calling on the trainees especially, the newly inducted guards to humble themselves and learn from their leaders and those ahead of them.

"Count your self very lucky to be selected among the privileged few to work in this park. So do your very best to protect the animals. 

You are here to protect the forest, so that generations yet unborn will also come and benefit from your sacrifice. If the resources in the forest are depleted and destroyed, future generations will suffer from your negligence of duty," he said.

Alfred Bara, who spoke on behalf of the instructors took trainees through an overview of the training modules and various sessions and encouraged the trainees to take the course structures very seriously.

According to him, one important tool for forest law enforcement was the establishment and manning of observation post and commended the park and training group for working without casualties.

Modules that the Instructors took trainees through included: intensive first aid and life saver training, parade deportment and drills, patrol formation, patrol tactics, bush craft, protected area conflict management, leadership and team building, and an introduction to the Forestry Commission's Human Resource policy as well as the consolidated Wildlife laws of Ghana.

Source: Ananpansah Bartholomew Abraham