Ho West DCE and Officials Visit Kalakpa Reserve and Paramount of Abutia Over Guard Killing
On 12th January 2026, the Ho West District Chief Executive, Hon. Profer Francis Dusey has led a high-powered delegation to the Kalakpa Resource Reserve and Abutia Traditional Area to commiserate with stakeholders following the killing of a forest guard in the line of duty.
The visit was undertaken together with members of the District Security Committee (DISEC), Assembly Members, and other officials of the Assembly. It formed part of efforts to officially interact with management and staff of the Wildlife Division at Abutia Kloe and to sympathise with them.
The delegation also visited the Paramount Chief of the Abutia Traditional Area to express condolences over the unfortunate incident.
Mr. Raphael Ganyo, a resource guard at the Kalakpa Resource Reserve, was shot dead by a suspected poacher during a routine patrol at the Sito Camp.
Briefing the delegation, the Park Manager, Mr. John Parker Atingah, said the deceased officer was ambushed while on patrol with other officers. He noted that the incident had traumatised staff and affected morale at the reserve.
Mr. Atingah appealed for enhanced training, improved logistics, and better protection to enable officers to effectively discharge their duties.
He added that management was collaborating with the Ghana Police Service to ensure the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrator(s).
Expressing his condolences, the DCE, Hon. Dusey described the killing as painful and unacceptable, stressing the critical role forest guards play in protecting the country’s natural resources.
He highlighted the importance of forest reserves in biodiversity conservation, water protection, climate regulation, and eco-tourism development.
The DCE cautioned staff against colluding with poachers, stating that such actions undermine national efforts to safeguard the environment.
He assured stakeholders of the government’s commitment to protecting forest reserves and ensuring that those responsible for the crime are brought to justice.
At the palace in Abutia Teti, Togbega Abutia Kodzo Gidi V, the Paramount Chief of the Abutia Traditional Area, condemned the killing and demanded the full rigours of the law.
Togbega Kodzo Gidi V warned that such an incident should never recur and suggested the establishment of a permanent military or paramilitary base within the reserve.
The DCE also briefed chiefs and elders on the ongoing Gun Amnesty Programme, urging the voluntary surrender or regularization of firearms before the January 15 deadline.
Source: ISD, Ho West District Assembly
