Ahead of the commencement of the Green Ghana Day today, Friday, June 11, 2021, the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has urged Ghanaians to partake in the exercise.
‘The Green Ghana Project’ will commence with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumama Bagbin, and some chiefs planting trees.
This ambitious project will see a concerted and collaborative effort to plant over 5 million trees across the country to preserve the environment, and salvage the country’s depleted trees.
If implemented, it means Ghana will regain one-third of the over 1.31 million-hectares of lost forest reserves.
Mr. Samuel Abu Jinapor encouraged all and sundry to be part of the all-hands-on-deck approach to help Ghana recuperate its depleted tree cover.
“I encourage everyone of you to join hands with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources as we go planting five million trees across the country. It is said that when the last tree dies, the last man also dies. One way of fighting climate change is to plant trees which will go a long way to help future generations.”
“The Ministry will make seedlings available at the various Forestry Commission district offices across the country.”
Meanwhile, some environmental NGOs are calling for a holistic approach to the implementation of the ‘Green Ghana Project’.
They also want the government to institutionalise the project.
Speaking to Citi News ahead of the Green Ghana Project, they called on the government to empower relevant stakeholders to enforce laws that protect the country’s forest cover.
“If you don’t have the culture or capacity to protect what you have, how do you even add on and take very good care of it? So the Forestry Commission needs to be resourced and revamped and given the necessary logistics to lead this charge.”
Source: Citinewsroom
