The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has given MPs a day off from parliamentary duties tomorrow.
The lawmakers are to lead their constituents in planting trees to mark Green Ghana Day.
The Speaker also argued that though Galamsey is still ongoing, the development cannot stop the country from planting trees.
Mr. Alban Bagbin further urged MPs to take a lead role in the tree planting exercise
“The tree planting you’ve seen in the Middle East, Dubai and the rest where they really bring trees and plant for a desert to be turned into forest. That is tree planting. What we do here is planting seedlings and we should talk about growing trees.
“We plant and go away and the survival rate is what we are talking about which we have to work on. But I believe that it’s better to do this than to say that because there is galamsey (illegal mining) we will not plant the trees, then we will worsen the situation,” Mr. Bagbin stated.
He continued: “So please I want to encourage members to continue and let’s grow the trees together and I will direct that honorable members to as usual proceed to lead their constituents in the exercise. So there will be no sitting on Friday.”
Speaking on the floor about the exercise, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor pegged the survival rate of the trees planted last year above 80% thereby urging the public to support the exercise.
Deputy ranking member for the committee on lands and forestry Alhassan Suhuyini questioned the survival figures churned out by the sector minister.
The Tamale North MP urged the Minister to ensure the exercise does not breed corruption.
Other MPs took turns to speak to the issue whilst chastising the minister for failing to fight galamsey which defeats the purpose of the tree planting exercise.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM
