Kofi Adda supports tree planting initiative with 5,000 seedlings

Ghana’s Minister for Aviation and Member of Parliament for Navrongo Central, Joseph Kofi Adda, has presented over 1,200 tree seedlings to the Paramount Chief of the Navrongo Traditional Area, Navro-Pio P3 Denis Asagpaare Balinia Adda ll.

This is in support of the Navro-Pio’s tree planting initiative he launched last month to mark his first anniversary as chief of Navrongo.

The MP has also given two other Paramount Chiefs, the Kologo Chief; Naba Clifford Asobayire Abagna IV and the Naaga Chief, Naba Bosingo Olando Ayamga Awini III, a total of 2,500 tree seedlings to support the fight against deforestation in their respective paramountcies.

Another set of 1,500 seedlings have also been earmarked for presentation to the chief of Pindaa, one of the largest communities within the Navrongo Traditional area in the coming days.

Speaking at a brief engagement to hand the seedlings to the Navro-Pio on Wednesday, a retired educationist and former constituency NPP elder, Stephen Gebuti, who led the MP’s office in the presentation, hailed the Navro-Pio for his brilliant initiative targeted at improving forest cover and encouraging tree growth in the area.

He said the MP, having taken note of the important role trees play in the environment, has committed himself to the course and will always assist the Paramountcy to make sure the initiative achieves the needed results.

“the MP has taken interest in the initiative because he has seen the numerous benefits it will bring to Navrongo. Unfortunately, most of the tress cover in Navrongo have been cut down. As you know, trees give us a lot of benefits. They give us food, they give us shade and they add to the formation of rain. So with all these benefits, the MP has said he will assist the efforts of the Navro-Pio to be able to achieve his vision of planting tree in the area”.

“Aside the Paramount chiefs, the MP is also urging everybody to do same to save our dying forests.Trees have an impact in our communities. So If we plant them now, we’ll saveourselves andour homes from rainstorms and strong winds in the future because they are capable of blocking these kind disasters”, he stressed.

“We want to assure all the chiefs that we’ll continue to support their efforts in fighting deforestation in the whole of the Kasena-Nankana area. It’s a laudable initiative and we'll forever be committed", he added.

Mr. Gebuti appealed to the Traditional leaders to cast their focus and attention on the small tree reserves left in the area and work closely with the Forest Commission to take measures that will protect them from destructive activities.

He said the Overlords should begin meting out stiffer punishments to persons found culpable in the felling of trees so that people will be deterred from the menace.

“We want to appeal to the chiefs to liaise with the Forestry Commission and similar departments to make sure that people who cut trees are punished, they don’t go scot-free. Additionally, they should also put together volunteers who will monitor and check to ensure people don’t go about cutting trees indiscriminately. Kasena-Nankana is gradually losing all it forests and that can affect us in the near future. We may not have rains if the trees are cut and this is very bad”, he lamented.

For his part, the Navro-Pio expressed his gratitude to Mr. Adda and his office for the support given his initiative.

P3 Asagpaare Balinia ll said the seedlings will give his initiative a big push in making Navrongo green in the not very distant future.

He said although he could have embarked on any other project to commemorate his anniversary, the crucial impact trees have on the environment topped all ideas and thus, informed his decision to cart the path of planting trees in his Chiefdom.

He said there is the need for everyone, including government, to begin to stick significant commitment and finding better alternatives, to rejuvenate our forest covers that are fast depleting.

Navro-Pio intimated that he will arrange for his sub-chiefs, divisional chiefs and other interested groups and individuals, with the interest in planting tree, to pick up shares of the seedlings so that the trees will be evenly spread out in the Paramountcy.

He strongly cautioned against the felling of trees in the area.