By Emmanuel Gamson
Sekondi (W/R), June 2, GNA – Mr. John Allotey, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission (FC), has called on Ghanaians to actively participate in the 2024 edition of the Green Ghana Day on Friday, June 7 to ensure its success.
He said the Commission had made available enough tree seedlings of different kinds at all their Regional and District offices, “… so we expect all Ghanaians to go out and plant them to help advance the initiative.”
He said this when he paid a courtesy call on the Western Regional Minister, Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, at Sekondi, during a tour of the Region to inspect progress of trees planted in the previous editions of the Green Ghana Day.
Mr. Allotey appealed to traditional and religious leaders, opinion leaders and other key community stakeholders to mobilise their people to take keen interest in participating in the exercise to help achieve its set targets.
He said: “The seedlings are free so we will need the support of everyone to ensure the success of the initiative on that day.”
He cautioned those engaged in illegal felling of trees, saying, “It is imperative for us as citizens to help protect the country’s forest reserves from destruction by illegal lumbering activities so that we do not suffer its consequences in the long run.”
Mr. Darko-Mensah said the Western Regional Co-ordinating Council (WRCC) was ready to lead the charge to plant trees to replenish lost vegetative cover in the Region.
“For us in the Western Region, we deliver about 60 per cent of the country’s forest products, so we are ready to plant enough trees to even exceed our targets in this year’s Green Ghana Day initiative,” he stated.
He reiterated the need for everyone to embrace the culture of tree planting to help mitigate the devastating impact of climate change on the environment and livelihoods.
GNA