The Independent (Accra)
Mike Anane, Guest Writer
27 March 2001
Accra — After months of preparing to come to Ghana to continue with a research on hippopotamus and crocodile populations at the Bui National Park, Mr. Daniel Bennet, a Biologist from the University of Aberdeen in Great Britain is now vowing never to return to this country.
This follows a decision last week by Mr. Nick Ankudey, the Director of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission in Ghana asking Mr. Bennet not to set foot into the Bui National Park and surrounding villages to conduct the research.
Speaking to this writer, an obviously shocked Mr. Bennet explained that since 1994 he has been conducting research with the Ghana Wildlife Division. In 1996, he returned to Ghana to conduct some more research. Between May and August 1997 he also led a team of 41 people of eight nationalities to carry out surveys of the diverse communities of animal groups including hippos and crocodiles in the Bui National Park.
Mr. Bennet disclosed that he conceived of the project because there hasn't been any such survey of the animals in the Bui National Park after almost 30 years of its existence and a lot of people in Ghana did not even know that hippos lived in the dense riverine habitats. "I am the only foreigner to have shown a non-commercial interest in the Bui Park in all 30 years of its existence. Our work there represents the only scientific report on the area published since the 1960's," he explained.
He disclosed that in 1998, the Wildlife Division gave him permission to return to Bui to conduct further research, specifically to build tree houses in the park in order to survey the hippos, crocodiles and monitor lizards there. The department confirmed their approval in 1999 and again in February 2001. Mr. Bennet said he arrived about two and half weeks ago in the country to continue the research only to be told that his permission to conduct further research in the Bui National Park had been withdrawn.
"The Director of the wildlife Division told me that I was not even allowed to visit the National Park even as a tourist, he further wrote to their staff at Bui instructing them not to corporate with me. They should also prevent me from entering the park". According to Mr. Bennet, the Director told him that the "Bui hydro power dam issue is very sensitive and political" and that "his research and presence in the National Park was no longer in the national interest".
The Director then referred to comments made on his (Bennet) website regarding the previous government's plan to start construction of a hydroelectric dam at Bui in 2002 and the effect it will have on food availability for the hippos that live there. But Mr. Bennet explained that the website contains findings of his research which he posted there for the benefit of the Scientific community, the Ghana Wildlife Department, Ghanaian and foreign biology students and all interested in wildlife.
"There is nothing sinister about the content of my website which can be found at http://hippo.50megs.com (and) http://mampam.com I have maintained a neutral stance on the proposed construction of the dam in the national park in all my reports and I have always, emphasised that the area is the least understood natural wilderness in Ghana, and a great deal more research in the area is required." He disclosed.
When this writer contacted Mr. Nick Ankudey, Director of the Wildlife Division for his comments on the issue, he simply said that "I find Mr. Bennet's comments on his website unacceptable, I would not allow him to continue with his research in the park, that is all and I won't comment further. I have explained it to Mr. Bennet, go and see him" But Mr. Bennet, disclosed that nothing has been explained to him. "All that Mr. Ankudey told me was that he doesn't like my website and I cannot go to the Bui National park as a researcher and I cannot even go there as a tourist. I have been coming to this country since 1994 to conduct research with the Wildlife department I enjoy working with them, I have fallen in love with this country and have since been coming here to conduct more research.
I haven't had any problem with anyone, I have no evil intentions but suddenly no one at the department wants to talk to me let alone give me permission to go to the national park, this is very strange and I am very sad and greatly disturbed." When the Chief Director of the Ministry of Lands, Forestry and Mines, Mr. Atiemo was contacted, he said he knew nothing about the Wildlife Department's decision and he will hold discussions on the issue with Mr. Ankudey and the Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines.
Early this week, Mr. Bennet sent a petition to the Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, appealing to him to look into the matter and grant him permission to carry out his research at Bui. "All I want to do is to count the hippos, crocodiles and monitor lizards and build tree houses as part of my research, spend my money and go home. I am very proud of the work we have done at Bui.
It represents the only independent research ever carried out in the park. It has also been undertaken at our own expense and in the spirit of scientific enquiry. I have no intention of denouncing plans for a hydroelectric dam at Bui" he stated in the petition.
Mr. Bennet explained that he has been very reluctant to petition against the department's decision but considering his previous record of research in the country, the considerable effort he has made to learn about the biology of Bui National Park and the very neutral stance he has adopted towards the proposed construction of the Hydropower Dam in the park, he feels the decision is unduly harsh.
Information reaching this writer at the time of going to press however indicated that the Minister of lands, Forestry and Mines had received the petition and written to Mr. Bennet to comply with the decision of the Wildlife Division not to set foot at the Bui National Park.
When asked of his next line of action, a tearful Mr. Bennet said the "Minister has spoken, your government supports the decision and does not want me to go into the national park to conduct the research, I can't comment on the issue any more, I just have to leave the country." Shocked and seething with discontent, some members of the local and international community of conservationists that I spoke to denounced the Wildlife Division's decision, which they described variously as "arbitrary, capricious, excessive and unnecessary".
For them, the "decision is utterly illogical and an insult to democracy and justice". A fuming environmentalist who preferred anonymity said, "it is ironic that the Wildlife Division in Ghana is preventing an independent researcher from conducting surveys on wildlife in the Bui National Park when the findings of the research will go to benefit the same Wildlife Division and the country.
What is also surprising is that in a letter dated 28th December 1998, the Director gave Bennet the approval to publish the report of his work, the contents of which are no different from what is on his website. In another letter dated 26th January 1999 the Director was full of praises for Bennet's work in the National Park which he described as excellent and useful to the Wildlife Division and even added that Mr. Bennet and his group will therefore receive the divisions unflinching support for the project.
So why has the Director suddenly changed when he knew right from day one the research that Bennet and other staff of the division were doing in the park, and gave him approval to publish his findings, he even went ahead to grant him the permission to come to Ghana to continue the research, so why did he suddenly turn around and ask him not to continue with the research in the park.
And why did the director have to wait till Bennet arrived in Ghana, having spent so much money on equipment and airfare before telling him that he should not continue with his research in the National park when they knew well in advance that the man was coming to Ghana.
This is very wicked and most unfair". Describing the decision of the wildlife division as extremely dangerous and cynical, Mr. Joshua Awuku Apau of the Green Earth Organisation in Ghana said the decision could taint the image of the country abroad, the government should therefore set up a committee to look into the matter immediately before Bennet leaves the country.
The decision of the Wildlife Division and the Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines has however convinced some environmentalists that their worst fears were right: dam proponents just like the goldmining industry are intolerant of dissenting views and protests.
Intimidation and harrassment of nosey ones like Mr. Bennet are their stock in trade, decision making processes involving the proposed Bui Hydropower dam is also fundamentally flawed and lacks transparency. Now, many believe that there is a lot to hide and Bennet is being harassed for stating the truth on his website about the impact of the Bui Hydropower dam on the Hippos and other wildlife species in the park.
"The decision by the department is therefore only to prevent him from unearthing more truth which will obviously be different from what a Canadian firm contracted by the dam developers will present to the country as an Environmental Impact Assessment." Some dam critics have also been quick to say that the decision of the Director of the Wildlife Division is not surprising, "this is a very familiar tune from dam developers and their local henchmen. The long legs of the shadowy forces behind the mischief are certainly not missing from the dance floor".
In the latter part of 1999, opposition to the construction of the proposed Bui hydropower project in the National park began to make itself noticed following an article by this writer in the Tuesday, April 20, 1999 issue of the INDEPENDENT newspaper. An array of problems that the dam will churn out were cited, particularly the submergence of a greater part of the 1,800 Sq Km bio- diversity rich Bui National Park which is home to a stunning collection of many rare butterflies, birds, primates, lions, buffalo, pangolin, monitor lizards etc.
The destruction of native fish species and their spawning grounds was also mentioned. More worrisome was the obliteration of many villages and fertile farm lands in the area and the outbreak of diseases associated with dams such as Bilharzia and Malaria when the Bui dam is constructed.
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