President Akufo-Addo has appealed to Ghanaians to embrace the new “Green Ghana Day” (GGD) initiative in order to help restore the country’s depleted forest cover within the shortest possible time.
The initiative is under the auspices of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and it is spearheaded by the Forestry Commission under the theme: “Forest Landscape Restoration: Planting five (5) million trees in a day”.
Addressing a brief ceremony before planting his tree at the forecourt of the Jubilee House today the 11th of June 2021, President Akufo-Addo said the country can reverse its alarming forest depletion statistics if everyone joins the new initiative.
“Deforestation and forest degradation are the greatest challenges to sustainable forest management in Ghana today. The consequences and effects of deforestation and forest degradation is servere climate change, which has dyer consequences for our livelihoods, specifically, the drying up of our water bodies, the pollution of our waters, lost of our prime timber species, lost of biodiversity and change in rain patterns and weather conditions in our country” President Akufo-Addo said.
“There is thus an urgent need to reverse the trend and restore our forest resources as much as possible back to their original state. We do not have tomorrow or the day after tomorrow to do this, we have to act now” President Akufo-Addo added.
Protection for Trees
Government according to the President, is determined to make the Green Ghana Day initiative an annual event as well as ensure the survival of every tree that would be planted through the country.
“We have to protect planet earth and our motherland Ghana. I appeal to all Ghanaians to embrace the green Ghana Initiative introduced by government and being driven by the energetic youthful Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, the Member of Parliament for Damongo, the Honourable Samuel Abu Jinapor. It is an ambitious initiative and we will make the necessary effort to sustain it. God willing, this initiative will be an annual one and planting targets will be reviewed upwards every year” President Akufo-Addo said.
Minister for L & NR
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor in a brief statement noted that reports he has received a cross the country points to the fact that Ghanaians have accepted to challenge to help restore the country’s forest reserves.
“Ghana’s forest cover as at 1900 stood at eight million, two hundred thousand hectares. It has been depleted over the years by an astonishing 80% to the current state of one million, six hundred thousand hectares. This situation is as a result of years of degradation, deforestation, lack of effective afforestation and action. Ghana’s forest cover is depleting at a very alarming and unsustainable rate and the time to do something about it is now” the Lands and Natural Resources Minister said.
The Tree of Life
President Akufo-Addo, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, Chief of Staff, Madam Akosua Frema Osei Opare and the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor all planted the tree commonly known as lignum vitae raisin (tree of life) which is scientifically know as Guaiacum Officinale. It a strong and tough woody tree. The tree life comes from its historic medical use as a remedy for conditions from arthritis to coughs to syphilis.
Green Ghana Day
The Green Ghana Day is in accordance with the vision, and pursuant to the instruction of the President of the Republic, H.E. Nana
Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry to restore the forest cover of the country within the shortest possible time. The Green Ghana Day is therefore one of the flagship projects launched by the Hon. Minister for Lands and Natural Resources on 23rd March, 2021 to achieve same. The Day will be celebrated annually and seeks to mobilize citizens to undertake massive nationwide tree planting exercises.
Green Ghana Target
The Green Ghana Initiative seeks to achieve the following objectives: Green/ beautify our communities and towns, Protect watersheds, Mitigate climate change, create enhanced national awareness on the necessity for collective action towards restoration of degraded landscapes in the country, inculcate in the youth the values of planting and nurturing trees and their associated benefits and to enhance livelihoods for rural communities through their engagement in the production of tree seedlings.
