The King and Overlord of Gonja and President of the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs Yagbonwura Tutumba Boresa (I) has called on the people of the Savannah Region to embrace the Green Ghana project initiative to restore the lost vegetation especially in the Savannah Region that has lost lot of trees as a result of illegal logging and commercial charcoal burning activities.
Speaking through his Chief Linguist Alhaji Afuli Losina, during the 2022 Green Ghana Day program at the forecourt of the Jakpa Palace in Damongo on June 10, 2022, the Yagbonwura said the country’s vegetative cover especially the Savannah Region enclave has been destroyed overtime and that the Green Ghana initiative has come at the right time to save the vegetative cover of the area.
Yagbonwura Tutumba Boresa (I) commended the Ministry for Lands and Natural Resources lands and natural ministry headed by the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Damongo Constituency Hon Samuel Abu Jinapor for the initiative and urged every Ghanaian to happily embrace the Green Ghana project because it will help the country rediscover the lost forest that has been selfishly destroyed through illegal commercial charcoal burning and logging.
On Shea tree protection, Yagbonwura Tutumba Boresa (I) stated that women and farmers are currently picking shea fruits across the Savanna region and urged all sons and daughters of the region to help protect the economic trees and the forest for improved socio-economic living.
Thr Savannah Regional minister Saeed Muhazu Jibril said the effects of illegal logging and charcoal burning is widely felt in the Savannah region adding that the rainfall pattern especially in the Damongo municipality has changed due to the destruction of the forest.
He commended the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Hon Samuel Abu Jinapor for the initiative and called on all citizens to embrace the project because when the last tree dies, the last dies and used the opportunity to thank the people of the Savannah Region for the massive turn out as compared to the 2021 Green Ghana program.
He commended all stakeholders and the Chiefs and people of the area, heads of departments, security agencies students, forestry commission, women groups, for their effort at getting more trees planted.
Mr Saeed Muhazu Jibreel disclosed that the forestry commission has been tasked to care of then planted trees to ensure a massive survival rate.
He said the Forestry commission will tasked Youth in Afforestation program staff to ensure continuous watering of the plants due to the unstable rainfall pattern in the area with the various security agencies also being a part of the monitoring team to ensure the plants do not die off.
Mr Benard Asamoah-Boateng, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Forestry Commission commended the people of Savannah region for the support to the Green Ghana project. He said the Savannah region has a target to plant at least one million (1,000,000) trees and the nation will plant some 20 million tress for the year to help augment our forest cover.
He explained that in 1900, Ghana’s forest cover stood at some 8,200,000 hectors but now it has been depleted over the years by estimated eighty percent (80%) to the current state of approximately 1,600, 000 hectors.
The theme for the June 2022 Green Ghana Day program was ‘mobilising for a greener future’. This is chosen to put us on the map to plant more trees and make sure they are not left to struggle for survival and that Ghana must look green again.
Source: nkilgifmonline.com
