Navrongo (U/E), June 13, GNA – The Navro-Pio, Pe Asagepaare II, the Paramount Chief of the Navrongo Traditional Area in the Kassena Nankana Municipality, Upper East Region, has called on citizens of the area to actively participate in the Green Ghana Project, to improve the environment.
He said the project, which seeks to restore the lost forest cover and protect the environment, was a welcome initiative that would beautify the area, provide fruits for all and lower the usual high temperature.
He urged the people to transplant as many seedlings as they could and nurture them to maturity.
“The trees would also serve as windbreaks and protect our houses during rainstorms and it is important we protect those that are alive and those that we are about to plant today”.
The Navro-Pio made the call when he planted the first tree to commence the initiative in Navrongo.
The Navrongo District Manager of the Forest Services Division of the Forestry Commission, Mr Emmanuel Owusu, said the Navrongo office covered four political districts namely Kassena/Nankana Municipal, Kassena/Nankana west, Bulisa North and Bulisa South Districts.
He said the district was given a target of 50,000 seedlings of different species to plant, including acacia, neem, mango, and mahogany among others in the four districts.
The target, Mr Owusu said, could easily be met because the office had already identified several stakeholders such as the various Assemblies, Traditional authorities, Faith-Based Organisations, schools, and farmer groups, among others in the district to support the project.
He said the public had expressed interest in the exercise and many were busy transplanting the trees.
He said the strategy of the office was to set up a monitoring mechanism to protect the trees, including putting up fire belts in the various forest reserves to control bush burning.
He appealed to stakeholders to take part in monitoring the progress of the trees to ensure their survival.
GNA