The Speaker of the Eight Parliament of Ghana, Alban Sumana Bagbin has observed that the Greening Ghana Project, is a special opportunity for the people of Ghana to amend their ways in handling environmental issues in order to recover the loss of its vegetation cover overtime.
The national tree planting exercise currently ongoing across the length and breadth of the country, has received a lot of support from individuals, institutions, religious bodies and traditional authorities among others.
According to him, the people’s destructive practices over the years have not only degraded the natural environment, but have also virtually depleted the country’s rich forest cover and have exposed it to the threats of desertification, droughts, irregular patterns of rainfall and all its attendant challenges including food security.
The Staff Durbar
The Speaker made the observation at a staff durbar held at the forecourt of the Chamber of Parliament on Friday, June 11, 2021. The durbar was to herald Parliament’s participation in the tree planting exercise initiated by the Government through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
Tree Planting within Precincts of Parliament
The First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu; the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah; the Clerk to Parliament, Cyril Nsia as well as the Deputy Clerks joined the Rt. Hon. Speaker Alban Bagbin to symbolically begin the planting of the trees (Watch video https://fb.watch/64wnBPcAaM/). The Institution of Parliament has pledged to plant 100 trees within the precincts and extended precincts of Parliament including the official residence of the Speaker, the Clerk and the Leadership among others.
Greening Ghana Project
The Government set aside the day for all and sundry to actively participate in the Greening Ghana Project which was initiated for the planting of five million trees across the country to restore the lost vegetation of the country and to replenish the forest cover.
“I believe the Green Ghana Project initiative is a special opportunity for all of us to recover over time our loss in this area. Through our own distractive practices, not only have we degraded the natural environment God gave us, we have also virtually depleted our forest reserves,” said Rt. Hon. Speaker Alban Bagbin.
He emphasized that, as part of the initiative the Government seeks to work out a formula for the planting of economic trees such as Timber, Wawa, Nim, Rosewood and Shea trees which is a form of national investment into the future of the country.
“By this policy initiative, we will be making investment for our future. In committing to this exercise, we are not just going to plant the trees and walk away. Indeed, we are encouraged to nurse, nurture, and monitor them in a manner to ensure the progress of these trees,” he said.
The Biblical Allusions
The Speaker also alluded to some Biblical injunctions which establishes a symbiotic relationship between plants on the planet and the survival needs of humankind when he quoted the books of Genesis and Deuteronomy to buttress his point.
He said in Genesis chapter 1 verse 29 God said, “I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.”
Adding that, “we are also reminded in Deuteronomy chapter 20 verse 19b that, we shall not destroy trees by wielding an axe against them, for the tree of the field is man’s food.”
Watch video here: https://fb.watch/64wnBPcAaM/
Source: Clement Akoloh||parliamentnews360.com
