Samuel Abu Jinapor
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has expressed grief concern about the depletion of forest covers in Ghana.
According to him, in the year, there was an estimated 1900 8,200,000 hectares of forest in Ghana.
However, he said, currently, the forest has reduced to 1,600,000 hectares, an 80 percent depletion rate.
As a result, he said the Government was rolling out the Green Ghana Project. He added that the Green Ghana Project is for a period of five years and will strive to restore Ghana’s forest cover.
He said under the Project, the Green Ghana Day will take place on Friday, June 11, 2021.
He added that five million trees, mostly economic trees will be planted nationwide.
“Basically on that day we are asking Ghanaians to come out in their numbers to support the exercise,” he said of the Green Ghana Day.
He said trees seedlings will he made available to malls, markets, and other institutions.
Some 1.2 million Ghanaian students from primary level to senior high will be engaged in tree planting.
“We want to build a level of consciousness in our country where tree planting becomes part and parcel of the Ghanaian public life,” he said.
The Green Ghana Project will implement initiatives that will help the country restore its forest cover, according to him.
Green Ghana Day aims at awakening the consciousness of every Ghanaians about the need to plant trees.
He expressed confidence that the country will plant more than five million trees on June 11, adding that the Church of Pentecost alone has pledged to plant one million on the day.
The Catholic Church of Ghana, he said, is also going to plant one million trees on that.
The tree planting exercise, he said, is about the “survivor of our country.”
According to him, one Friday, June 11, President Nana Akufo-Addo will plant a commemorative tree at the Jubilee House.
He added that the Vice President, Dr Bawumia will follow Akufo-Addo in planting tree.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin will lead MPs to plant trees. He stated that the Chief Justice, the Asantehene, Okyenhene, among others will plant trees.
By Melvin Tarlue