The ancient Dodowa Forest, where Shai warriors and their allies broke the might of the Ashanti Empire in 1826, is now under siege — not by swords, but by bulldozers.
Traditional leaders, environmentalists, and the people of Shai are demanding an immediate halt to the clearing of part of the forest to make way for a temporary market space linked to the government’s proposed 24-hour Economy Market in Dodowa.
They say they support development, but not at the cost of erasing a heritage that has stood for over two centuries.
A Forest Forged in History
The Dodowa Forest is more than trees. It is the battleground of the Battle of Katamanso, fought between 1824 and 1826, where a coalition of Shai, Ga-Dangbe, and other coastal peoples defeated the Ashanti army.
At the heart of that victory stood a giant, ancient baobab tree. Under its branches, peace treaties were signed and traditional ceremonies performed to mark the end of the conflict. For the Shai people, the forest became a living monument — a sacred grove where the soul of the state was believed to reside.
“What happened here changed the balance of power in southern Ghana,” says Mr Bright Adjartey Apperkon, spokesperson for the Apperkon Family, custodians of much of the forest land. “Now that history is being cleared for blocks and market stalls.”
Voices Rising
The outcry comes after reports that Madam Linda Akweley Ocloo, MP for Shai-Osudoku and Greater Accra Regional Minister, ordered part of the forest cleared to temporarily house traders while the 24-hour market is built.
“I visited the forest and saw it with my own eyes — part cleared, blocks laid,” Mr Apperkon said. “She is destroying our heritage, our custom, our tradition.”
The community’s frustration is compounded by what they see as a contradiction. The same MP has been vocal about protecting Ramsar sites and championing environmental sustainability.
“Why protect Ramsar sites but destroy our own forest reserve?” Mr Apperkon asked.
Mr Renner Awatey Kwesi Noah, a royal from the house of the late Nene Bana Atrokpa I, put it bluntly: “The continuous existence of the Dodowa Forest is the strength of the Shai people. It is the centre of peace for the world. Development is welcome, but not on the grave of our history.”
Ecological and Cultural Loss
Experts warn the damage goes beyond culture.
Dr Mrs Gloria Djaney Djagbletey, former Principal Research Scientist at CSIR’s Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, explained that the forest acts as a windbreak, filters drinking water, prevents erosion, and supports biodiversity.
“The spirit of Shai is in the Dodowa Forest,” she said. “Once you clear it, you are removing the soul of Shai. Our ancestors did not leave this grove for nothing.”
Rev Jonathan Obour-Wiredu, Greater Accra Regional Manager of the Forestry Commission, added that clearing the forest would alter its microclimate and shorten the lifespan of the surrounding community.
“The Dodowa Forest is one of the few reserves where the community has more control than the Commission,” he said. “When I heard it was being used as a temporary market, I thought: the topsoil is gone, we are killing the forest.”
A Legacy at Risk
The forest once spanned 320 acres. Years of encroachment have reduced it to just a few acres. In 2016, former Greater Accra Regional Minister Nii Kwartei Titus Glover declared it a security zone, mobilized national security to evict encroachers, and led a replanting drive with the Forestry Commission and local residents.
Today, those gains are being undone.
The Ghana News Agency’s attempts to reach Madam Linda Akweley Ocloo for comment were unsuccessful.
For the people of Shai, the message is clear: development and heritage are not mutually exclusive. But if the forest falls, so does a piece of Ghana’s history.
Source : GNA
