Mr. Dery made the call in a speech read on his behalf at this year’s launch of the national bushfire prevention campaign at Mpreaso in the Kwahu South District.He underlined the need to focus priority on education – helping the people to properly handle naked fire, especially as the nation inched towards the harmattan season.

He added that education combined with strict enforcement of anti-bushfire laws by the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) would help to significantly reduce bushfires.

The Minister tasked the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to explore ways of establishing a fund to support efforts at providing fire volunteers with the basic operation kits. Mr. Seth Kwame Acheampong, Member of Parliament (MP) for Mpraeso Constituency, encouraged everybody to join the campaign to prevent bushfires.

He advised farmers to be more cautious in their handling of naked fire and to make sure that they built fire belt around their farms.Acting Chief Fire Officer (CFO), Edwin Ekow Blankson called for amendment of the anti-bushfire law because the punishment for offenders was not deterrent enough.

Earlier, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr. Eric Kwakye Darfour, appealed for farmers in the Kwahu area to exercise restraint as the government took steps to find solution to the menace of the Fulani herdsmen and their cattle. He reminded the security agencies to be on the alert to prevent a repeat of the nasty clashes between the farmers and the herdsmen.

Nana Effah Pinamang, the Kwahu Obomenghene, asked the communities to establish an anti-bushfire volunteers.