www.padfm.com.gh / By Zulka
The deputy CEO of the Forestry Commission, Nyadia Sule Nelson has inspected fifteen thousand (15,000) mahogany seedlings at the Mole National Park located in the West Gonja Municipality of the Savannah region for planting across parts of the park’s boundaries to help improve the vegetative cover of the area, as part of the Green Ghana Day Project.
This is to help ensure that the 15,000 seedlings are carefully planted by the management of the park and get the necessary care to achieve the the project’s objectives.
Mr. Sule Nyadia lamented the state of destruction of the forest and hope the idea to plant more trees will help restore the lost vegetative cover in the country.
You may be aware that vegetation of this country especially areas off reserves have dwindled over the last three (3) decades due to massive destruction, he said.
President Nana Akufo-Addo called on all Ghanaians to support his administration to retore the forest in his state of the nation address.
So the minister of Lands and Natural Resources took it upon himself to implement this intention, “Green Ghana Day”, through the Forestry Commission.
The idea is to implement five million (5million) trees by 11th June, 2021. This number is an indicative number to create new attitude for Ghanaians to embrace tree planting. So it is an opportunity for WildLife staff and all other staff of Forestry Commission to join the rest of Ghanaians to make it a reality.
Sule Nyadia said this project will provide good vegetative cover for the country that will help improve agriculture and related activities in the country.
He explained that in countries where they have good tree cover, they turn to be wealthier than countries with poor vegetative cover. In Ghana, southern Ghana is wealthier than northern Ghana because it has good vegetative cover.
Nyadia Nelson Sule called on the public to join the Commission to plant more trees across the country to save the planet for better future
Savannah region is one of the destruction centers when it comes to felling wood products for fuel, housing and construction. The Urban population derive some of their woods from the Savannah region so there is huge pressure on the Savannah lands.
The plantation target for the Savannah region is 250,000.
Sule Nyadia said this is great opportunity for us to both use and carefully manage the resources because you can not stop people from using woods for domestic activities. This project is to help us replace the lost woods in the forest.
“When we cut one wood there is an opportunity for us to plant five(5) to increase the stock of natural resources in order to have a lot of the resources for longer time”.
We are the current generation and we have to leave a much better natural resources for the next generation than we met it. So everyone in the Savannah region should getting involved, he added.
The Yagbonwyura, the Paramount Chiefs and sub chiefs, Queen Mothers, religious leaders, the youth and all manner of people will be involved in this exercise.
Mr Nyadia Nelson Sule backs the actions by Chiefs and people of Gonja state to stop illegal logging and commercial charcoal production in the region and called on all to support our traditional leaders to end the menace.
The Park Manager, Mr. Mahama Ali expressed gratitude to the Forestry Commission authorities for the fifteen thousand mahogany seedlings (15,000) to plant across the park’s boundaries.
“The boundaries of Mole National Park consist of 300km and we want to use these 15,000 mahogany seedlings to plant across 90KM of mole national Park, that is about 166 seedlings per KM”.
We are very happy the deputy CEO, Sule Nyadia Nelson, is here to begin the process in commemoration of the Green Ghana Day which will be launched on June 11, 2021, by the president of Ghana”.
He said the mahogany species were carefully selected because the species will grow to help serve as marks or clear distinction between the boundaries of the park and off reserve areas and, as well protect the environment. He said the park has mobilized staff to take good care of these species.
The PRO of the Forestry Commission, Nana Afia Antwiwaa Akomeah explained the deputy CEO and his team have embarked on a tour to solicit the support of the chiefs and people of the region to help the Green Ghana Day initiative succeed.
The Savannah region has a target of 250,000 plantation to help restore the lost forest.
She advised that the plantation should be done when the rains are in good shape to help increase the survival rate of these plants.
The Deputy Chief Executive of Forestry Commission, Mr Nyadia Sule Nelson, and the Deputy Director for the Northern Zone, Dr Ebenezer Djablitey and the team embarked on a tour of the Zone.
The handing over was on on Friday 28th May, 2021, at Mole National Park.
The president of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo is expected to launch the Green Ghana Day on 11th June, 2021.
www.padfm.com.gh / Abdulai Zulkaninu
