Board of Forest Plantation Development Fund inaugurated

Benito Owusu-Bio, the Deputy Minister of Lands and Mineral Resources in charge of Forestry on Tuesday, October 5, 2021 inaugurated the board members of the Forest Plantation Development Fund.

The members include Nana Osei Yaw Berima as chairman, Professor Patrick Kwabila Agbesinyale, Mr Benson Oduro, hon. Emmanuel Marfo, Mr Andrew Marfo, Mr Andrew Adjei-Yeboah and Mr Alhassan Yakubu Tal as members.

The co-opted members are Alex Oppong, Mr Abu Jaja Seidu and Tennyson Agbalanii.

Speaking at the inauguration held at the premise of the ministry, Benito Owusu-Bio disclosed the purpose for which the fund was established.

He observed however that over the years, the fund has failed to live up to its expectation of providing financial support for the growth of seedlings and trees and other related matters.

He therefore charged members of the board to “manage the Act to promote Forest Plantation Development on the country.”

He stated that the focus of the ministry is to “embark on a vigorous afforestation drive to restore our lost vegetative cover. The Green Ghana initiative, for example is one of the key interventions in restoring our degraded landscape.”

The chairman of the committee expressed gratitude to the honorable Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Honorable Samuel Jinapor and his two deputies for the confidence imposed in them.

He assured the ministry and the country of their commitment and readiness of the board to deliver on their mandate.

He explained that the effect of climate change being felt in the sub-region, it has become imperative for the country to undertake a vigorous afforestation exercise and save the country from the effects of climate change.

He explained that aside the planting of trees, other measures which guarantee protection of the our vegetative cover should be adopted.