The Upper West Region on Friday joined the rest of the country to commemorate Green Ghana Day.
Ten million seedlings are expected to be planted on the day and the Upper West Region is expected to plant 300,000 seedlings.
The 2023 edition of the Green Ghana Day in the region is on the theme: “Our Forest; Our Health”. The Upper West Region marked the day at the regional hospital with traditional Leaders, departmental heads, security agencies, and schools in attendance.
These are Two things The Forestry Commission and RCC Failed to Look At
Firstly, The Forestry Commission and Regional Coordinating Council should have Touched on how secondary Schools in the Region Generate fuel to cook for schools, Even Basic School Caterers Rely on Firewood to cook, this has Engineered the felling of trees, about
10,500 trees are cut down annually to supply about 30 Senior High Schools and over 100 Basic Schools with firewood for fuel to cook for Schools in Upper West Region.
The Prisons aren’t left Out, they also use firewood to cook for inmates.
How do we switch from Firewood to Gas like Wa SHS is currently doing.
Secondly, Felling of Shea Trees for Money, Shea Trees have dual Benefit, if you cut them down you’ll get benefits, if you leave them to grow they are also beneficial but the fact it that several people resort to cutting them down for instant money after converting them into charcoal. What other alternative can the RCC and Forestry Commission provide. Some include teaching Women in charcoal burning soap making, weaving, tailoring etc.
Speaking at the launch of the program, the Upper West Regional Minister, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih, indicated that the initiative will help the agricultural sector in the region as the threat of desertification was barefaced in the region due to its closeness to the Sahara Desert.
The Minister took the lead to plant a tree at the premises of the Upper West Regional Hospital just after the ceremony and other departmental heads followed suit by planting a tree each.
The regional minister commended some traditional leaders in the region especially the Paramount Chief of the Pulima Traditional Area in the Sissala West District, Kuoro Osman Deiwia Nankpa III, for banning negative environmental practices in his bid to help protect the environment.
Mr Godfred Quashigah, the Upper West Regional Manager of the Forestry Commission, encouraged the regional education directorate to form Green clubs in schools to help improve tree planting in the region.
Meanwhile, Dr Robert Amesiya, the Medical Director of the Upper West Regional Hospital at the occasion noted that over 80 per cent of the 915 trees planted within the premises of the hospital during last year’s Green Ghana Day survived. He commended the Regional Minister, the forestry commission and all stakeholders involved for choosing to commemorate the Green Ghana Day at the premises of the regional hospital.
In a message read on behalf of the Chief Executive Office of the Forestry Commission, Mr. John Allotey, he appealed to residents in the Upper West Region to help exceed the 300,000 targets for the region and to nurture and grow the the trees planted .
Source: Upper West Media