Regional Minister appeals to chiefs, stakeholders to nurture planted trees seedlings

The Western Regional Minister, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has appealed to chiefs and stakeholders to lead the tree planting exercise to help the Region exceed the target of 150,000 tree seedlings as part of the Green Ghana project to preserve forest and water bodies to fight climate change.

As part of the move, the Region would organize another tree planting exercise in the course of the year.
Mr Darko-Mensah said this to mark this year’s Green Ghana Day Celebrations held at Aboadze in the Shama District of the Western Region.

This year’s celebration was in the theme: “Our Forests, Our Health.”

He said it was to achieve this feat that the Forestry Commission (FC) under the auspices of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources rolled out measures to ensure that the country’s forest reserves were cuddled off from attacks and unwarranted destructions from illegal mining and chainsaw operators, among others.

Mr Darko-Mensah lauded efforts of the Forestry Commission for the constant patrols to protect and maintain the internal and external boundaries.

The Minister, who is also the MP for Takoradi, said countries like Lybia, Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which used to be deserts have now become forests due to sustainable tree planting and nurturing.

Mr.Darko-Mensah said that Ghana, which is in a typical tropical zone, had no excuse to metamorphose from forest into desert.

He said the Region had plans to host Forest Drive, a company proposing forest plantation hinged on carbon credit to derive forest plantation development in partnership with chiefs, landowners and communities in the Western Region.
The Regional Minister said due to the benefit of forest globally, the country was fortunate to benefit from a target of 15.2 percent of the Sustainable Development Goals(SDG).

He said, ” the Western Regional Coordinating Council (WRCC) looks up to all stakeholders to fulfil the President’s vision in making Ghana Green to preserve our forest and water bodies.”

The Western Regional Deputy Director in charge of Operations at the Forestry Commission
Madam Lydia Opoku commended Goshen Global Vision, an NGO for the distribution of tree seedlings for the occasion.
She said the Green Ghana project had distributed 30 million tree seedlings since the inception of the project in 2021.

Madam Opoku said 23 million seedlings had been piloted with 10 million seedlings earmarked for planting in 2023.
She said the target for the Takoradi District for the year was 80,000 and that of the Western Region 150,000.
The Deputy Director said since 2021, the Takoradi District had planted 150,000 seedlings made up of ornamental, timber species and forest trees.

She said it was not enough to plant trees but the conscious effort at nurturing them to improve health.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Shama, Mr Ebenezer Dadzie, stressed the need to protect and preserve the forest by arresting people who indulged in illegal lumbering and galamsey activities and prosecute them.

Queenmother of Nyanokrom, Nana Heema Akosua Agyemfuaba also emphasized the need to plant and replant trees to sustain the environment.

The team from the FC led a cross-section of people in the Region to plant trees at the Volta River Authority (VRA) at Aboadze and Ghana Ceremics Company Ltd, all in the Shama District.