June 11 mass tree planting exercise: 5 million seedlings ready

The Forestry Commission has nursed more than five million seedlings of different tree species for the tree planting exercise on Friday, June 11, 2021.

The seedlings, including mahogany, acacia and rosewood, will be distributed to various faith-based organisations, traditional authorities, youth groups, state agencies, private entities and individuals to be planted in their various localities.

The commission has consequently started a national sensitisation exercise being championed by the 60-member national planning committee overseeing the implementation of the Green Ghana Project to whip up public interest in the exercise.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban S. K. Bagbin, the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, and some prominent chiefs and religious leaders are expected to plant a tree each on June 11.

The Deputy Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, Mr Sulemana Nyadia Nelson, disclosed this when he visited Tamale and Savelugu last Tuesday to inspect some tree nurseries and planting sites for the exercise.

He also paid courtesy calls on the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, and the Paramount Chief of Tamale, Gukpe Naa Alhassan Abdulai, to seek their support for the Green Ghana project.

Preserving environment

Speaking to the media after the tour, Mr Nelson expressed satisfaction with preparations for the exercise, and said it would contribute to the preservation of the environment.

“We need to do something dramatic to fight the menace of tree felling; given the extent of damage caused, if we don’t mobilise Ghanaians to help restore the vegetation, in the next 20 years we can’t survive,” Mr Nelson stated.

He said the exercise was non-political, but a joint responsibility for which more broad-based support was needed to address the degradation of Ghana’s forests and ecosystem.

He, therefore, called on the chiefs and people of the region and various institutions to go to the nearest Forestry Commission office for the seedlings for planting at their localities.

Registration

The Assistant Northern Regional Manager of the Forestry Commission, Mr Adams Baafa, said his outfit had raised over 25,000 seedlings of different species such as mahogany, acacia, teak and rosewood which would be planted across the region.

He indicated that “a number of institutions had so far registered for the seedlings to participate in the exercise in the region, saying “we are still calling on the public in their numbers to come for the seedlings”.

An elder, Alhaji Zakaria Alhassan, on behalf of the paramount chief of Tamale, pledged support for the exercise to ensure its success.

Green Ghana Project

President Akufo-Addo announced the launch of a Green Ghana Project in the 2021 State of the Nation Address in March to mobilise Ghanaians for an aggressive nationwide tree planting exercise.

Following the announcement, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, launched the Green Ghana Programme as part of activities to mark this year’s International Day of Forests.