Lands Commission plants 200 trees to mark maiden Green Ghana Day in Tamale

The Lands Commission in the Northern Region has planted about 200 tree seedlings across its various offices to mark Green Ghana Day.

The tree planting exercise which was done across the country, forms part of the government's Green Ghana project to preserve the Country’s forest cover and the environment.

The Green Ghana project is a 5-year tree planting project by the government under the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to plant 5 million trees across the country each year.

The tree seedlings planted includes acacia, mango, rosewood, shea and nim, provided by the Forestry Commission.

Speaking to the media after the exercise, the Chairman of Lands Commission in charge of the three Northern Regions, Lawyer Dubik Mahama Yakubu said the Green Ghana project initiated by President Nana Akufo-Addo is a baby of the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry to nurse and nurture these trees for the benefit of present and future generations.

He said, the current outlook of the country's vegetation cover is under a serious threat thus the Greening Ghana project will not only help protect the environment but will also address the issue of climate change.

Again, Green Ghana will ensure that Ghanaians are much aware of the importance of the tree and the need to protect its life span.

Lawyer Dubik said, Ghana is one the tropical countries with the highest percentage of rainforest loss in the world, adding that, Ghana’s current forest cover stands at 1.6 million hectares down from 8.2 million hectares in 1900.

The Chairman of Northern Region Lands Commission attributed the huge depleting of the forest cover to improper mining activities and indiscriminate felling of trees without proper reforestation.

“As a department we pledged here that, Lands Commission will continue to protect these trees and at the same time I will also advice the whole country and the whole world to ensure that we protect the land”.

He bemoaned the indiscriminate felling of trees without replanting them back, “we should also be careful with the type of trees we cut down. There are some of these trees that take so many years to be able to grow and we have to ensure that those trees are also protected".

Lawyer Dubik appeals to farmers to control bush fires as they prepare their lands for farming," The land is very important and the trees are important as well and as the saying goes, when the last tree dies the last man dies.

We are therefore appealing to everyone to adhere to this project by taking care of the trees by watering the trees and not to leave the trees to die".

The Northern Regional Lands Commission Officer, Mr Gershon Tsra urged staff of the various divisions to ensure that Green Ghana is successful, "as a department we pledge to continue to protect the trees for life".

He noted that, the Lands Commission after the maiden planting activities will also encourage landowners and individuals to protect the environment by planting trees and protecting them. He added that the Commission will collaborate with various organizations to ensure that the Green Ghana project succeed.