The Green Ghana project which is aimed at restoring the forest cover and also to mitigate climate change in the country has been launched in the Upper East Region.
In an interview with WORD NEWS, The Upper East Regional Manager of the Forestry commission, Mr. Emmanuel Yeboah, said considering how the desertification is setting in his outfit carefully selected seedlings that can easily adapt to the environment and are drought and fire resistant. “In the Upper East, naturally we are planting plant species that have will able to adapt to drought, fire among others and some of the plant spices include shea, Parkia biglobosa ( Dawadawa) Adansonia digitata (baobab) , tamarind, African Rosewood, Acacia auriculiformis , Khaya senegalensis (mahogany), Senna siamea (Cassia) teak.Mr Emanuel Yeboah noted.
Mr Emmanuel Yeboah revealed that currently there is a mad rush for the seedlings and over two thousand people within the Bolga Forest District alone have come to their regionnal office to register for the seedlings and what they doing is to track all the people who register for the seedlings and also help them monitor the growth of the seedlings. The move according to Mr. Yeboah will help support data system that is built at the National office to track the number of seedlings that each region has been able to plant within a day.
Mr. Emmanuel Yeboah also indicated that the region has been allotted 170, 000 seedlings to plant across the fifteen political Districts to restore the lost vegetation cover. “In the Upper East we’ve been given a target of a minimum of 170,000 seedlings so we have come here in Bolgatanga Girls Senior High School to launch the program and do the ceremonial tree planting to pave way for the people, other stakeholders, Schools, Churches, Traditional authorities, MMDAs, Farmers to also plant this seedling, we are planting them, we are protecting them, we are nurturing to maturity and then we own them that’s why the seedlings we’ve planted here in the Bolgatanga Girls Senior High School ,the school has provided some cages to prevent animals from grazing on them.
Mr. Yeboah added that all seedlings distributed by the forestry commission will be monitored to ensure it’s growth and survival.
The program was launched by the Chief Director at Upper East Regional Coordinating Council, Alhaji Mahamadu Assibi Azonko. The chief Director called on players in the forestry sector and all stakeholders to join hands on deck in ensuring that Green Ghana project is sustained.
Gaspard Ayuureneeya /mywordfmonline