Green Ghana Day: Ga East MCE leads stakeholders to plant over 8,000 trees

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Ga East Municipal Assembly (GEMA), Janet Tulasi Mensah, has charged residents of the Municipality to sustain the Green Ghana Day, tree planting campaign, initiated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as she led stakeholders to plant trees to mark the day at Abokobi.

Ghanaians, and foreigners throughout the country, and in foreign missions, joined President Akufo-Addo to plant five million trees to herald the birth of a new campaign, Green Ghana Day, aimed at safeguarding Ghana's environment and mitigating the harmful effects of Climate Change.

In the Ga East Municipality, various stakeholders and individuals, including Religious Leaders, Residents' Associations, Women's and Youth Groups, Assembly and Unit Committee Members, Staff and some members of the public, joined Madam Janet Tulasi Mensah to plant over 8,000 trees at the premises of the Assembly at Abokobi and throughout the Municipality.

The MCE planted the first seedling of Cedrela, followed by the Presiding Member (PM), Jesse Nii Noi Anum, Rev. Henry Sowah Ako-Nai, District Pastor of the Pantang District of the Church of Pentecost, on behalf of the religious bodies, Mr. Max Cobbina, Chairman of the Atomic Gate Homeowners' Association, and Ambassador Charles Agyei Amoamah of the New Ablorh Adjei Residents' Association, for all Residents' Associations.

Others included Moses Ola Dowuona, Assembly Member for Abokobi and Chairman for the Works Sub-Committee, Patience Ofosuhene Okrah, Assembly Member for Taifa North and Chairperson for the Social Services Sub-Committee, and Deaconess (Mrs.) Hannah Gyeke-Darko, Pantang District Women's Ministry Leader of the Church of Pentecost, both representing women in the Municipality.

Speaking at a brief ceremony to mark the Day, Madam Tulasi Mensah appealed to the people of the Municipality not to see the initiative as a single day's activity but replicate it on regular basis to ensure its sustenance and the desired impact.

"It is our fervent expectation that we will not go to sleep after today’s exercise but will continue to plant trees and ensure that we safeguard our environment for our own sustenance. Let us eschew the attitude of indiscriminate cutting of trees around us while we make no efforts to plant same. Let us be responsible towards our environment and respect it for our own sake and future generations", she stated.

"I implore our stakeholders, particularly, Traditional Authorities, Churches, Mosques, Residents’ Associations, Institutions and Corporate Bodies, Businesses and various Associations, to team up with the Assembly to continue to undertake tree planting exercises on regular basis to sustain this great initiative by President Akufo-Addo", the MCE added.

Schools, both Public and Private, Governmental Institutions, including the Security Services, Churches, Mosques, Corporate Bodies, Civil Society Organizations and individuals were given the seedlings by the Assembly to plant at their premises and homes.

The Forestry Commission provided the Assembly with 8,020 seedlings of Cedrela, Acacia, Mahogany, Bamboo, Coconut, and Citrus (Orange), among others for the exercise.