Cape Coast, May 28, GNA – The Central Region is expected to plant about 400,000 trees on June 11 as part of activities to mark the International Day of the Forest and also to complement the Green Plant Project launched by the Government this year.
The Green Plant Project is to encourage Ghanaians to plant more trees to preserve, protect, save the Country’s forest cover and the environment.
Mr John Allotey, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission (EC), said the project formed part of a strategy and a programme to ensure aggressive afforestation to protect the environment and preserve the forest cover of the Country.
The initiative, he indicated, was a joint responsibility for which more broad-based support was needed to address the adverse degradation of the nation’s forests and ecosystem.
Mr Allotey made this known when he paid a day’s working tour to the Central Region to solicit support from various opinion leaders and stakeholders in the Region and also discuss preparedness towards the Green Plant Project across the country.
The CEO was accompanied by Madam Joyce Ofori Kwafo, Head of Corporate Affairs and Media Relations of the Commission, Mr. Hugh Brown, Director of Operations, Mr Mike Pentsil, Regional Director Forestry Services Division, among others.
The team visited tree nurseries and met with staff of the Commission in the various Districts while viewing and inspecting some tree planting sites including land banks allocated for the Project.
Some of the districts he visited included the Cape Coast Metropolis, Komenda- Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA), Effutu Municipality, and the Awutu Traditional Council.
He stressed that it was a non-partisan venture, involving relevant stakeholders from all walks of life and called on all to collaborate with the Commission in making the Project a reality to save the forest and beautify the environment.
“The Project is all about the planting of trees regardless of your political party, we need to come together to retrieve our lost forest reserves” he added.
Mr Allotey said it was also aimed at inculcating the usefulness and importance of trees in the youth.
He said after planting the trees, field officers would be designated to various districts to ensure the sustainability and growing of the trees to yield good results.
The CEO and his team had earlier paid a courtesy call on Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, the Regional Minister, who expressed her full commitment to facilitate the implementation of the project, adding that it was time all came together to protect the forest reserves to boost the economy.
She assured the CEO that the RCC would liaise with all Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to ensure that the expected number of trees were planted in the Region.
Mr Allotey was also at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong, Vice-Chancellor told the team that the university was ready to participate in the green plant project.
He said the university would plant about 5,000 of the expected number of trees slated for the Region.
GNA