The Acholi Paramount Chief Rwot David Onen Acana II has faulted local leaders in the region for fueling the rising cases of environmental destruction.
Rwot Acana says local leaders from the village level up to the District are actively engaged in issuing receipts, movement documents and authorization orders to environmental degraders in the region.
His statements come in the wake of the growing charcoal and timber trade that has seen vast tree covers in the region cut down.
Rwot Acana described the local leaders whom he didn’t mention by name as the worst people dragging the region backwards through their acts of assisting in cutting down trees.
Late last month, the police arrested a cultural chief in Agago District for allegedly cutting down several endangered shea nut tree species for charcoal production.
The suspect identified as Jimmy Olum was picked from Kuywee trading centre in Kuywe Sub-county and detained at Wol Police Post.
Forest covers in the region have been steadily declining over the past years due to high demand for timber and charcoal despite several interventions put in place by the central and local government to curb the vice. The most targeted tree species are shea nut trees and Afzelia Africana which have lucrative markets.
