Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II
The Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II, has expressed worries over how some individuals are destroying the forest for their selfish interests by indicating that “the world is united ecologically and therefore when we harm the ecological system, we harm ourselves’’.
According to the Okyenhene, ‘’It is very selfish to cut trees or destroy any part of the ecological system, we need to take care of these trees for the generation to come. We must be selfless and generational thinkers”.
Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin said this when a delegation from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources led by the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, John Allotey called on him at Ofori Panin Fie in Kyebi, in the Abuakwa South Municipality of the Eastern Region.
The Okyenhene, also an Environmentalist further called on his subjects and the entire populace to support the government’s flagship afforestation program; Green Ghana Day which seeks to plant 20million trees on June 10, 2022.
“Green Ghana sustains our future, I, therefore, urge all citizens to get hold of the seedlings, wherever they are made available, plant them and watch them grow. No one is going to get rich doing this but it is a service that will enhance our living and our environment so plant a tree today and watch it grow” Okyenhene noted.
Osagyefuo said he is delighted the government has seen the need to plant trees as they are regulators of temperatures everywhere around the world which keeps us alive.
He also encouraged Ghanaians to lead the charge in the region and support the initiative saying “you are not doing this for the President or me but yourselves and your generation. Also, you are not only planting trees, you are planting your future”
He was pleased that the Traditional leadership is being involved in such an initiative but also asked that they be made an integral part of negotiations, from acquiring seedlings to planting them.
John Allotey, CEO of the Forestry Commission who led the delegation on his part, praised the Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II for his exemplary leadership in the area of Environmental Protection and Sustainability in Ghana and the world at large.
Mr. Allotey in his submission informed the King about the Ministry’s two-fold Strategy for the 2022 Green Ghana Day saying, “we have two prompt strategies that are to plant 10 million trees in the forest reserves and 10 million in other places like we did last year. Sighting households, medians, water bodies, and schools among others as examples.
He applauded the King’s efforts and participation while highlighting his role in last year’s edition of the Green Ghana campaign saying “with your leadership and support, last year during Green Ghana, the Eastern Region exceeded its target of 500,000 thousand trees as we planted 700, 000 trees and we’re grateful”
Mr. Allotey again applauded the Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin for taking charge in Ghana’s effort to reafforest the country, through the Okyeman Environment Foundation which has begun a tree planting exercise to plant 25 million trees across all towns and villages within the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional area in 5 years.
-BY Daniel Bampoe