The Kofi Abban Foundation has presented a 4×4 Land Rover Defender and other items worth Gh200,000 to the Mole National Park, Ghana’s largest protected wildlife area . The other items included safety boots, torchlights, reflective vests, helmets, masks and mobile phones among others.
At a short ceremony at the Headquarters to present the items to the forestry commission, CEO of Rigworld Group and Founder of Kofi Abban Foundation, Dr. Kofi Amoa-Abban, a Ghanaian Oil and Gas entrepreneur, said the equipment was to aid the Mole National Park with its operations considering its vast land coverage which is about 4,570-kilometre sq.
He said: “It is a pleasure to make this donation to the Forestry Commission. I was informed about the challenges that faced the Mole National Park as wildlife enthusiast, so, I deem it vital to support the Park to further enhance its smooth operations.
“I hope this donation would build a close relationship with the Forestry Commission and support them in most of the activities to ensure the promotion of Ecotourism in Ghana,” Dr. Abban added.
Receiving the items Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, John Allotey expressed his appreciation to the foundation and said the items would go a long way to boost their efforts at promoting Ghana’s ecotourism. He said as the largest national park of 4577 sq km, logistical constraints pose a great challenge to its effective management but with such support it will greatly impact on their work.
The Mole National Park has the highest number of elephants in West Africa and “other attractions and surrounding communities benefit immensely from the magnetic pull of the park,” he said.
Explaining the background to the presentation, CEO of Kaya Tours and a team Lead for Kofi Abban Foundation, Gilbert Abeiku ‘Santana’ Aggrey said a visit to the Mole National Park a few months ago by a team from the foundation revealed some of the challenges that were confronting operations of the park. It was after this that the foundation decided to step in to help.