Let’s contribute to make Obuasi East green - Hon Patrick Boakye-Yiadom

The Member of Parliament for Obuasi East Constituency, Hon. Patrick Boakye Yiadom, joined residents and students of Kwabenakwa Junior High School to celebrate the 4th edition of Green Ghana Day by planting trees.

The Government of Ghana instituted Green Ghana Day in 2021, under the supervision of the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources, as part of its afforestation project aimed at combating the escalating climate crisis.

Addressing the gathering at Kwabenakwa Community Park in the Obuasi East District with the theme "Growing for a Greener Tomorrow," Hon. Patrick Boakye Yiadom expressed his gratitude to the community for embracing the government's afforestation initiative.

He highlighted the government's target of planting ten million trees nationwide during this year’s Green Ghana Day. The Ashanti Region's goal is to plant one-fourth of the national target, with the Bekwai District of the Forestry Commission tasked with planting 240,000 seedlings of various species.

Hon. Yiadom lamented the recent statistics indicating record-breaking temperatures and ecological threats, emphasizing the urgent need for comprehensive environmental conservation efforts. He called for a unified effort to achieve the set objectives and appealed to individuals, institutions, corporate bodies, and communities to participate in tree-planting activities.

Addressing the degraded state of the environment, he noted that various activities by individuals have contributed to the current situation, citing the use of wood in construction and furniture, as well as illegal mining activities. "The government has made significant efforts to address these issues; the best we can do as citizens is to support this initiative," Hon. Yiadom stated.

He pointed to the trees planted along the main roadside of the district as a personal initiative and encouraged everyone to contribute to making Ghana greener for better health and living conditions.

Appiah Kusi from the Bekwai Forestry Division assured the readiness of the division to care for and protect the seedlings once planted to ensure the country achieves its vision. He mentioned that a major challenge is that seedlings planted outside forest reserves often have to be cut down for community development projects.

He stressed that planting the seedlings is not enough; they must be nurtured until they mature. He also informed those present that seedlings are available for free and encouraged everyone to visit the district office for collection.