The Canopy, The Road and The Big Debate

Recently, there has been a big debate on social media when news broke on Ghanaweb about the felling of the historic mahogany trees for the construction of the Sandema town stretch of the Navrongo - Sandema - Weisi road. Many people have advocated for the construction of this road in the past to no avail, key among them being the late Paramount chief of Buluk, Nab Sir Azantilow Ayieta. Many others have also advocated for this project in recent times and, fortunately for Buluk, the road was awarded on contract in the latter part of the year 2016.

Many people were optimistic the road would be constructed finally to open up the Buluk community for development. THE ROAD TO SANDEMA advocated for people to stand up and ensure the road was constructed to meet approved standards in The Road Contract; MyTurn, Your Turn, Our Turn.

The proponents for the cutting of the canopy trees have given some reasons why the trees must be cut which include;

The historic Sandema canopy trees have served the people 

very well over the years.

1. The trees are old: The trees in question were planted several decades ago and are now weak. These old trees can pose a danger to people plying the stretch on a daily basis, especially during heavy windstorms as some branches can break and fall on commuters. The heavy winds can even uproot some of them which can result in damage to structures nearby. 

2. The road needs widening: The stretch of road in question, although wide for now, would require widening in the near future to meet population growth and traffic. It is better to sacrifice the trees and the impact they have now for a better road which many people have advocated for, for years. 

3. The trees can be replanted: Just as the much talked about trees were planted, new ones can be planted to replace the old ones that would be cut. However, if the construction opportunity is not well executed now, it may take a century to get that done again.

The opponents have equally given some reasons why the trees should not be touched just for the construction of a road, and they include;

1. The trees serve as a canopy: The purpose of the trees to the people cannot be overemphasized. They serve as a canopy to protect people from the scorching sun of northern Ghana by providing shade. They also serve as windbreaks and help prevent soil erosion and desertification. They also purify the air by releasing oxygen and taking in carbon dioxide. 

2. The road does not need widening: The stretch of road in question is not a narrow one and can be constructed without even cutting a single root of a tree. The town has not grown to a point where a double-lane highway would be considered at this time. An innovative contractor can get the road constructed without cutting the trees.

3. The road may not be constructed: This road project, being what it is [a political project], may not even see the light of day if the trees are cut. Many contracts have been terminated and re-awarded to different people at different times and here we still are, discussing the construction of this very road. No one can be trusted for now by their words because many politicians always preach virtue and practice vice. This road is a vote-attracting machine to the politicians who are only interested in playing with the minds of the people of Buluk who are gullible to their trickery.

My Take: It is very true that the trees are old and may become a danger to the people they are supposed to serve but why must that come up now for discussion? When did we realize this? Is there any plan to replace the aged trees? No, please. So, that reason cannot be tenable.

The road is wide enough for the construction that is about to take place and cannot be a tangible reason why the trees should be cut. However, the trees will eventually be cut one day for the same purpose in the near future as the town continues to grow and develop. Are we buying time now or we are too emotionally attached to these trees that we cannot stand seeing them felled?

Currently, some of the trees have died a long time ago and needed to be replaced but nothing has been done about it. If we cared so much about these trees and are fully aware of their purpose, why have we not replaced the few that have died due to rainstorm disasters and old age? Are we waiting for all of them to die a natural death? Is it not better to uproot them now whilst we have an opportunity of getting our road constructed than to allow them all to die by themselves later and we gain nothing in the end because we resisted their cutting?

If we care so much about these trees then we must embark on a tree-planting program, especially in the rainy season, with the same species of mahogany trees and ensure we forecast about a possible three-lane highway in the future. We cannot always pretend to care about these trees when, in reality, we care less. That's hypocrisy.

We have witnessed several contractors on this very road at different times in the past who only played with our minds and left the road in its sorry state because of politics. If these trees are cut and governance happens to change hands, the road construction may be abandoned and we would have lost on two fronts; the trees would have been gone and the road not constructed. We cannot rush on this issue. The leaders of Buluk must hasten slowly on this matter. We should not be fooled by politicians, whether in government or in opposition, to fell our precious trees for parochial gains. Rosewood is the new gold in town and mahogany is a very precious wood tree.

In the midst of all these, where do you stand? Do you honestly think the trees should be cut for a wider road or the road should be constructed without cutting the trees?