All 261 Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies across Ghana were expected to go mass tree planting of 30 million seedlings across the country for a greener tomorrow.
Abuakwa South Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region was excluded from performing ceremonial planting due to the ban on noise-making and digging of grounds by the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council as customs demand.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Nana Adu Sarpong Addo Aikins Junior, explained that June 5 clashed with the Okyeman Ohum Kan festival ban. During this time, they don’t make noise or dig holes, so they had an agreement with Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, and his cabinet to allow them perform the ceremonial one to plant a few trees and do the main mass planting after June 20, by then the Ohum Kan festival would be over.
He added that it is very important to respect the traditions and customs of the land. He indicated that during the previous government, they normally did this exercise on June 10 to avoid this directive, but the National Democratic Congress government changed the date to June 5, which coincidentally collided with the ban on noise-making and digging of grounds, hence the halt of their mass tree planting.
He further cautioned the general public not to read political meanings into these directives that the Overlord of Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council doesn’t want President John Dramani Mahama’s ‘ Tree For Life Initiative’ to materialize in Abuakwa South.
He said it is essential to emphasize that Osagyefuo Ofori Panin is well-known as an environmentalist and would not intentionally do anything that wouldn’t benefit the country, because he knows the benefits of tree planting to mankind, hence targeted to plant over 1 million tree seedlings across the Akyem Abuakwa enclave every year to support this initiative by the government.
Nana Adu Sarpong Addo-Aikins Jnr stated his Municipality is tasked to plant over 30,000 tree seedlings, and even there was no ban they couldn’t have used just a day to plant all the seedlings. Rather, it will be done gradually till the seedlings are finished.
The Abuakwa South MCE then assured President John Mahama and his Minister for Lands and Natural Resources that by the end of June he would ensure that those trees are planted so that the money invested in it wouldn’t go to waste.
The Kyebi District Manager for the Forestry Commission, Alfred Owusu Ameyaw revealed that ‘The Tree for Life Initiative’ has created job opportunities for the Ghanaian youth across the country.
He said that when they were about to nurse the seedlings for planting, he was asked to bring some youth within his catchment area for the job, comprising Atiwa East and West, Suhum, Ayensuano, and Kyebi assemblies, respectively.
According to him, the aforementioned municipal and district assemblies submitted the names of their people to them, but after the interview, only 28 were selected and have received their employment letters, and started working, indicating that getting a job would not let them engage in galamsey activities to degrade the landscape.
