The MCE planting trees after the project launch
The Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Elijah Adansi-Bonah, has launched an environmental plan to protect and improve the natural landscape and convert all gray areas in the Municipality into green.
Speaking at the launch as part of the Green Ghana Day event, the Mayor declared the Assembly’s commitment to take huge strides to improve environmental protection for the people of Obuasi and its surrounds.
This involves planting more trees to slow the decline of native species and promote biodiversity in the town.
He said that the environmental project, named “The Obuasi Green City Agenda,” is part of the government’s Green Ghana agenda, which President Akufo-Addo announced in 2021.
Mr. Adansi-Bonah said the Obuasi Green City Agenda also includes bringing on board a diverse group of people with essential knowledge to create a well-developed urban space while protecting the vegetation.
According to him, because they hold the natural environment in trust for the future generation, the Assembly hopes to put this ambitious plan into action in order to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than they found it and pass it on to the next generation.
MCE Adansi-Bonah stated that the Assembly had already designated some roads inside the Municipality for the protection of their treasured landscapes from economic exploitation.
He mentioned them as the road linking the Old DVLA office and the Obuasi Government Hospital as well as the SDA Church road at Estate to the Obuasi Post office.
“We will do some landscaping, construct pavements and grow trees on these selected roads”, the MCE stated.
He said that the Obuasi Green City Agenda would be funded entirely through the Capacity Support Grant Component of the Ghana Secondary Cities Support Programme (GSCSP), of which the Obuasi Municipality is one of 35 beneficiaries.
He stated that a 17-member committee had been formed to identify and develop an institutional framework for the Municipality’s resilience and climate adaptation initiatives.
The committee will examine and report on all potential areas for intervention, boost residents’ awareness and practice of resilience and climate adaptation, and improve and embark on a tree planting exercise throughout the municipality, he added.
Obuasi Station Supervisor of the Forestry Department, Henry Yeboah, stated that the department is ideally positioned to assist the Municipality in implementing the Obuasi Green City Agenda.
He stated that the Obuasi Municipality has been given 7,500 seedlings to sow this year, and added that Mahogany, Mango, Orange, and other seedlings were among those available.
He urged locals to come get the seedlings, grow and nurture them, and help the government realize its complete afforestation programme.
From Sampson Manu, Obuasi