Business Development Manager at the Kumasi Technical University (KsTU), Dr. Solomon Forkuo Kwarteng, has called on government to use students in the country for future tree planting activities and invest budgetary allocation on such projects on the feeding of students to avoid food shortages in the schools.

The Senior Lecturer believes it was a misplace of priority for the country to spend huge sums of money on the Green Ghana Day Project, when that same money could have been used to buy food for students who can be tasked to do the same tree planting work.

Speaking on the Kumasi-based OTEC 102.9 FM's breakfast show dubbed "Nyansapo", on Friday, June 19, 2023 said it was very worrying to see government blowing cash on such events when the amount could be used to embark on two landmark projects at the same time with the right planning.

How can government spend huge sums of monies on tree planting when school children are without food, which is a basic necessity? ".

"If we were to set our priorities right, the country could have opted to use the money budgeted for the Green Ghana Day to settle arrears owed the school feeding caterers and rather share the trees among the schools to plant", he told the host of the show, Captain Koda.

Green Ghana Day Budget

Government on Friday, June 9, 2023 embarked on Green Ghana Day (GGD)

The event aims at replacing the vast lost trees across the country.

On the day, a total of 10million seedlings was shared among groups to be planted across the country whilst nurturing the over 30 million which were planted in 2021 and 2022.

The Chairman of the 2023 Green Ghana Project, Benito Owusu-Bio ahead of the event revealed that, government has approved an amount of GH¢2.5 million for the event.

School Feeding Caterers on Strike

Meanwhile, caterers under the School Feeding Programme in April this year declared a nationwide strike following the government’s failure to pay them their arrears and increase the amount per child.

The aggrieved caterers drawn from various regions across the country who converged in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi stressed that laying down their tools is the only option available to them now.

Attendances at some schools after two months of the strike have been affected as students skip school duel to the lack of food for them.

Juxtaposing the two happenings in the country, Dr Forkuo said government missed a golden opportunity to pay the caterers and plant to trees at the same time.

He has therefore called on the government to consider investing monies allotted for the Green Ghana Day in the school and give the job of tree planting to the students