Green Ghana Project: "Seedlings won't go waste" - Forestry Commission assures
The Forestry Commission of Ghana has committed to putting in place a comprehensive monitoring mechanism to provide advice and technical support to persons who collect and plant seedlings under the government's Green Ghana Project.
The CEO of the Commission, Mr John M. Allotey said a dedicated telephone line will also be announced to ensure that the investment made in acquiring the over seven seedlings for the project does not go waste.
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He made known today at a ceremony that saw members of the diplomatic corps plant trees at the National Seismological Observatory at Achimota in Accra.
"We are happy this project is taking off but we are more concerned about the nurturing and protection of the trees that will be planted.
The British High Commissioner, Iain Walker planting a tree
"It is not worth it to spend money and effort to plant all these trees and not help it to grow and so the Forestry Commission will take all the records and GPS locations where the trees will be planted and visit them regularly and publish quarterly reports about the progress of the project.
Tree planting
A total of 33 leaders from diplomatic missions comprising Ambassadors, High Commissioners and their representatives participated in the tree planting exercise.
The Acting Nigerian High Commissioner, Gambo Hamza
They included the Head of European Union (EU) Delegation to Ghana, H.E. Diana Acconcia, the outgoing British High Commissioner to Ghana, H.E. Iain Walker, the Ambassador of Colombia to the Republic of Ghana, H. E. Claudia Turbay Quintero, the Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, H.E. Gambo Hamza, the Ambassador of Mexico to Ghana and Enrique Escorza, the Brazilian Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Maria Elisa de Luna, the Italian Ambassador to Ghana and Togo, H.E. Daniela d’Orlandi, the Rwandan Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Dr Aisa Kirabo Kacyira and the Ambassador of France to Ghana, H.E. Anne Sophie Avé.
In an address, the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps of Ghana, H. E. Claudia Turbay Quintero commended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for championing the Greening Ghana Project which she said would safeguard Ghana's environment for many years to come.
"President Akufo-Addo had such a wonderful and important initiative that will have an impact not only on nature and the soil of Ghana but also strengthen Ghana's potential of having forests, water bodies and nature".
She said the participation of the diplomatic corps was an endorsement of the Greening Ghana Project and would also strengthen the relationship between Ghana and the over 33 missions that are backing the project.
Background
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced the Green Ghana Project in the 2021 State of the Nation Address in March to mobilise Ghanaians for an aggressive nationwide tree planting exercise.
Subsequently, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, on March 23, this year, launched the greening project as part of activities to mark this year’s International Day of Forests, which fell on March 21.
The ministry plans to institute June 11 each year as a tree-planting day.
As part of the project, more than five million tree seedlings of different species are to be planted and nurtured to maturity as an aggressive measure to preserve the country’s forest cover and the environment and roll back climate change and its debilitating impact.