Accra, June 8, GNA – The Methodist Church Ghana is to plant 1.4 million trees by June 20 to support government’s Green Ghana Project aimed at growing five million trees country wide.
At the launch of the Church’s Green Ghana project, that marked the beginning of the tree planting project in all its 20 dioceses in the country, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, the Reverend Dr Paul Kwabena Boafo, said the church knew the importance of trees and vegetation to the sustenance of humans hence the project.
He said government’s Green Ghana project also fell in line with the church’s annual “Arbor” Day event which also involved the planting of trees, and where hitherto, the church’s school children, young people and adults were encouraged to plant trees just to help grow the vegetation so that “we can live better.”
“So this year we decided to join hands with government and to be part of what the Ministry is doing. That is why today were are launching this project.” Bishop Boafo said.
At the launching, trees were planted at the site of the ongoing new conference office complex of the Methodist church being built in Accra.
Rev Boafo explained that all the bishops in the 20 dioceses of the church would all take up the planting of seedlings of Acacia, Palm and Mahogany trees, among others, which the Forestry Commission was assisting the church to acquire distribute.
He said the tree growing project had been designed for the Methodist Schools at the basic, secondary and tertiary and that partners of the project, including the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Forestry Commission and A Roacha Ghana, an NGO, would advise on the best places to plant the trees.
He emphasized that trees being planted would be nurtured by the planters until they mature.
He also urged all citizens to plants trees in their homes to support government’s effort at saving the environment.
In an answer to a question posed by the media, Bishop Boafo said, the Methodist church was ready to partner government to reclaim the galamsey mining sites by planting trees and would endeavour to protect such reclaimed areas too.
GNA