Green Ghana Project: We won't waste 5million seedlings - Forestry Commission
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission, Mr John Allotey has assured that four Committees have been put in place to ensure that the five million trees that will be planted as part of the Green Ghana Project will not go to waste.
He said the Monitoring Committee of the Project chaired by the Member of Parliament for Ahafo Ano South East, Mr Francis Manu-Adabor together with the Forestry Commission has been tasked with ensuring that the seedlings which will be planted on June 11 will be nurtured and protected from destruction.
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"The project has four committees, one of the key committees that we have is monitoring. The monitoring committee is in charge of the progress of the project throughout the duration of the project and beyond until next year when we come out with another target for planting," Mr Allotey told the Daily Graphic on the sidelines of a courtesy call to the National Chief Imam's residence on Tuesday in Accra.
"The Monitoring Committee together with the Forestry Commission team will monitor the progress and development of those seedlings, we don't want to throw away five million trees away. The idea is to grow the trees and not just to plant them, so we will be monitoring them regularly to ensure their growth".
Other Committees
He said the remaining Committees overseeing the project are the Fundraising Committee co-chaired by the Paramount Chief of Assin Owirenkyi Traditional Area, Nana Prah Agyensaim VI and the Executive Director of the Salt and Light Ministry, Dr. Joyce Aryee, the Publicity Committee chaired by, Mr Kwaku Sakyi-Addo and the Operations and Logistics Committee which he chairs.
Mr Allottey further disclosed that the membership of the four committees comprised people from various religious, political and socio-cultural groups including Alhaji Collins Dauda and the Member of Parliament for Wa Central constituency Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo who are members of the Monitoring Committee and the Member of Parliament for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini who is a member of the Publicity Committee.
Source of seedlings
He said the Commission would make the seedlings available to all Ghanaians at its regional and district offices located across the 16 regions of the country.
"A good proportion of the seedlings have been developed by the Forestry Commission already because that is what we do already but when we have shortfalls in the regions we will purchase to augment," Mr Allotey said.
He said the Commission was in the process of awarding contracts to seedling providers after a regional audit of seedlings.
Courtesy call
Briefing the Chief Imam about the purpose of the courtesy call, Mr Allotey who led a delegation from the Forestry Commission said his outfit was courting the support of traditional leaders, chiefs, opinion leaders and religious leaders such as himself to ensure the success of the project.
He also appealed to the Chief Imam to commit to planting a tree as part of the project.
Pledging his support for what he described as a laudable project, the Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu assured that he will perform a symbolic planting of a tree at the new national mosque located at Kawukudi in Accra.
He also urged all Ghanaians to set aside their differences and support the project.
"I approve and support this project, I, therefore, call on all Ghanaians to support the national effort to plant trees," the Chief Imam said through a translator.
"Muslims and Christians are able to dialogue in Ghana, other nations do not have that so we must be grateful to Allah and participate in this project in peace and harmony".