Yagbonwura Tuntumba Boressah, the Overlord of the Gonja Traditional Council, has urged members of the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs to hold sensitization programmes in their traditional areas in preparation for the upcoming population and housing census.

The Yagbonwura made the call at a meeting of the house of chiefs in a speech reared for him by the vice president of the house, Buipewura Abdulai Jinapor Il.

According to the Yagbonwura, the population and housing census is crucial and significant to the area and nation, hence the need for the region to give the exercise special attention.

“This National exercise is important and relevant to us in this area of the country, the Savannah region needs to give the exercise the utmost attention and cooperation.”

The Yagbonwura also thanked the House of Chiefs, especially the Chairperson of the house’s environmental committee, for their efforts to save the region’s depleting environment.

He said the environment’s hope lies with the chiefs, and thus urged everyone to “join the crusade to fully implement the ban” on logging and commercial charcoal production in the region.

“I passionately want to thank the house of chiefs and the Bolewura committee for the apt work done so far to save the environment. Our firmness will restore the devastated environment for the people of our region and restore confidence is us.”

Saeed Muhazu Jibril, the Savannah Regional Minister, urged the House of Chiefs to back the government’s Green Ghana initiative.

He estimated that 250 thousand seedlings would be planted across the region, and that the region should take it more seriously because it is linked to the fight against commercial charcoal production in the area.

“The government is complementing our efforts by providing 250,000 free seedlings to be planted throughout the region. For us in the Savannah Region, this project should be taken seriously because it dovetails into our fight against charcoal burning.”

The Regional Minister stated that the government has ordered all metropolitan, municipal, and district chief executives to disclose all illegal mining activities within their assemblies, and that any Chief Executive who fails to do so will be dismissed.

Mr. Muhazu also said that chieftaincy disputes must not be permitted to break chiefs apart and disrupt regional peace, and that all chieftaincy disputes must be resolved.