Interior Minister urges traditional authorities to enforce anti-bushfire bye-laws

The Minister of the Interior, Muntaka Mubarak, has called on traditional authorities to enact and strictly enforce anti-bushfire bye-laws in their respective communities to prevent bushfire outbreaks during the 2026/2027 season.

He emphasised that preventing bushfires remained a collective responsibility and directed the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to strengthen their anti-bushfire committees and fire volunteer groups.

Mr Mubarak made the call in a speech read on his behalf by the Bono East Regional Minister, Francis Owusu Antwi, at the launch of the 2026/2027 National Bushfire Prevention Campaign at Atebubu in the Bono East Region.

The campaign is being held on the theme: “Bushfire Prevention: A Collective Action for Sustainable Environmental Development and Greener Ghana.”

Mr Mubarak emphasised that the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) alone could not shoulder the responsibility of fighting bushfires, stressing that collective efforts were required from farmers, hunters, youth groups and the general public.

He admonished farmers to exercise caution in handling naked fire when preparing their farms for planting.

The Chief Fire Officer (CFO) of the GNFS, Daniella Mawusi Ntow Sarpong, who launched the campaign, also called for a collaborative approach to preventing bushfires.

She said the GNFS required support from the security services, the media, traditional authorities and the general public to control bushfire outbreaks in the country.

CFO Ntow Sarpong said although fire outbreaks nationwide had decreased in 2026, there was a need for concerted efforts to bring the numbers down to the barest minimum.

Comparatively, she said the 631 fire outbreaks recorded across the country from January to August 2025 had reduced to 235 during the same period in 2026.

She commended personnel of the GNFS and fire volunteers for their dedication to fighting fire outbreaks across the country.

CFO Ntow Sarpong also lauded the contributions of President John Dramani Mahama and Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak towards resourcing the GNFS to deliver on its mandate.

Nana Owusu Sakyi III, Paramount Chief of the Bassa Traditional Area and President of the Bono East Regional House of Chiefs, advised everyone, particularly farmers and agribusiness enterprises, to support the GNFS in preventing bushfires.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.