Cape Coast: Mr. Ekow Panyin Okyere Eduamoah, the Central Regional Minister, has proposed that tree planting should be integrated as a requirement for employment opportunities and academic degree completion, as well as being included in religious sermons. He believes this approach will compel citizens to plant more trees, aiding Ghana in restoring its degraded environment.
According to Ghana News Agency, the Minister made these remarks during a commemorative tree planting exercise at the Central Regional Coordinating Council. During the event, more than 20 trees were planted to officially kick off the government's 'Tree for Life' reforestation initiative in the region. The initiative aims to restore degraded forest lands, particularly in areas impacted by illegal mining and deforestation, while also addressing climate change and enhancing biodiversity.
The initiative also seeks to raise awareness about the importance of trees and environmental conservation, create jobs, and instill tree-growing habits in children and the youth. Ghana aims to plant more than seven million trees nationwide this year alone under this initiative.
Mr. Eduamoah emphasized the need for all sectors of society, including religious bodies, corporate entities, public institutions, and individuals, to take personal interest in growing trees. He called on religious leaders to incorporate tree planting into their sermons to motivate those who have never planted trees to start doing so. He illustrated the impact of prophecies by stating that if a prophet claimed one would die for not planting a tree, people would quickly act to plant and nurture trees to avoid such a fate.
The Minister also urged universities to implement a system where students must plant trees as a prerequisite for graduation. He suggested that students should plant ten trees in a community before presenting their final thesis. He further proposed that government job seekers show proof of tree planting before being offered employment.
Additionally, Mr. Eduamoah suggested a novel approach for the judicial system, where tree planting could be used to mitigate sentences. For instance, if a family plants 500 trees, a six-month jail sentence could be reduced to four or three months.
He expressed concern about the destructive nature of current development and agricultural practices, urging a change in behavior to ensure successful environmental restoration. He highlighted the importance of protecting existing trees rather than solely focusing on planting new ones, as the latter involves significant financial expenditure.
Mr. Eduamoah insisted on establishing a system to account for all planted trees to prevent neglect. He announced plans to monitor the planted trees in five months to assess their progress.
Mr. Emmanuel Owusu-Nkwantabisa, Regional Director of the Forestry Commission, revealed that the region is producing 500,000 seedlings of various species for distribution. The goal is to establish 700 hectares of forest plantation, distribute 100,000 seedlings for amenity planting, 300,000 seedlings for farm trees, and undertake enrichment planting in 150 hectares of forest reserves.
The seedlings are being distributed from all Forestry Commission offices and selected locations across the country and in the region. Citizens and residents are encouraged to participate in the exercise to restore forests, degraded lands, and water bodies.
The initiative, supported by officers of the Commission, the University of Cape Coast, and the Catholic Church in Cape Coast, aims to make significant strides in environmental restoration and conservation efforts.
