Many people in the Wa Municipality are yet to appreciate the usefulness of trees to man's existence and social development.
They do not plant but they destroy to make economic gains to hold brief for themselves and those of their families.
They seem not to care about what tomorrow has for them; all that they want is to make a living today and forget what happens to their children in
future.
Coming through major roads leading to Wa, either from the southern, northern, eastern or western part, there is always one common spectacle that meets the eye; a modern type of competitive business transaction of tree leaves between rural women and livestock dealers.
It is common to see women carrying heavy loads of leaves tied together and traveling from long distances to Wa to sell to livestock dealers and those who keep few numbers of domestic animals such as goats, sheep and cows in their premises for economic reasons.
Cyclists, Motorists and Pick-up owners have of late found the business lucrative or high-yielding and are on the edge of pushing out the women who hitherto engaged in that business.
The Ghana News Agency has been observing this phenomenon for some time now and on Sunday, which was a Wa market day, decided to find out the
effects of this practice on the environment.
As usual, business was at its peak on the roads and when this reporter met with Fuseini Musah, a fodder seller from Kpongo, who was carrying a huge load of leaves on his bicycle and wanted to find out why he was engaged in
such business, he has this to say: "I have no job to keep my family and we must live at all cost".
"Is it not better to slash tree leaves and make a living than going to take to arms and rob and kill people to make a living?, Should I go and
steal to feed my family, no no.. Don't ask me such foolish questions next time. By the way, are the trees for you, and may I also ask whether you are
a stranger in Wa. This business is far older than you and your father", he irritated.
Just as Mr. Musah was struggling to paddle away, five women emerged from the same direction with leaves, each of them struggling to reach to the livestock dealers who were on the road to patronise their goods.