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Citizens For Truth And Accountability Ghana [CITAG] wish to express its profound gratitude to the government, all individuals and institutions who were partakers of planting of trees during the Green Ghana Day on June 11, 2022 to make the exercise a success.
CITAG believes that Trees offer many benefits to homeowners and the communities and the nation by offering shade and beauty, privacy, windbreak, good health etc. But these benefits are only enjoyed when the right trees are planted and protected at the right place or geographical location.
That’s because the space we have available for new trees often dictates how well that tree will grow and how it would be managed over time.
Matching the attributes of a species to the limitations of the soil will ultimately determine how well your new tree will grow and deliver the benefit that is expected of it.
In view of this, we propose that the Green Ghana Project must be reviewed to cater for sustainable afforestation that is not limited to just planting of new trees but focused on how and where species’s of trees are planted (specific regions or locations).
We call on the Ministry Of Lands And Natural Resources to Review the Green Ghana Projects and work out a strategy where the trees to be planted would be economic trees with special focus per year or per region or area. Examples of such trees of interest are Coconut, Timber, Wawa, Nim, Rosewood, Shea trees etc. While accounting for the funds used in 2021 and in 2022 respectively.
CITAG wishes to state that the planting of trees should not be a one-day affair but becomes a means for employment and a part our culture and education system to protect our environment and ensure good health.
CITAG is demanding from the ministry an accountability on the status of the trees planted from June, 2021, the facts and figures on money’s utilized l, failures, challenges and progresses made so far.
We are urging that the Green Ghana initiative should not be a mere ceremonial and yearly observation but a daily habit, a deliberate means to ensure protection of nature and a sustained source of employment, sustained throughout the year and beyond because rate at which we are losing our forest cover to illegal and legal human activities. Trees planted must be nurtured to grow and protected with the same energy whilst protecting existing trees.
CITAG states that, whilst we are not against the planting of new trees, we believe the focus should be more on protecting existing trees which nature has bestowed on us with a well planned strategy.
Our checks reveals that the country has looked on for these existing trees to be destroyed through neglect and lack of maintenance. We observed that the trees planted need proper nurturing that would ensure their growth, and that should be an avenue for employment and a duty that is embedded in every citizen.
We are by this Press Release reminding the government to intensify ‘Visit Your Tree’ campaign to stir up excitement and let Ghanaians better appreciate the planting exercise. This we say, will ignite a sense of responsibility on our part as citizens.
In conclusion, Citizens For Truth And Accountability Ghana is encouraging Ghanaians to get involved in the Green Ghana Initiative to sustain the environment to ensure a better future.
Long live Green Ghana Project!
Long live CITAG.
_…..Signed….._
*Mr. Clement C. Blay.*
(Convener, CITAG)
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