Tree planting project begins at Yong Dakpam Yili

The Yong Dakpam Yili community in the Tamale South Constituency of the northern region, has witnessed the planting of about 3500 trees as part of the Green Republic Project's goal of planting 20million trees by 2028.

Speaking to participants at the event which took place to commemorate Ghana's 58th Republic Day, the Convener and Team Lead of the Green Republic Project Nana Yaw Osei-Darkwa emphasized his outfits committment to the goals of the project, rallying for support from the general public.

"Exactly a month ago, we launched the Green Republic Project here in Tamale and made a solemn pledge that commencing 1st July 2018, we were going to begin our journey to help plant 20million trees by the year 2028 and here we are today in Yong Dakpam Yili to redeem our promise," he said.

He indicated that with the support of hundreds of enthusiastic young people and the partnership of the Forestry Commission of Ghana and Sponsorship of Humano Energy, 3500 trees were planted with some additional 7000 trees to be planted in the Mion district in the coming weeks.

Nana Yaw Osei-Darkwa challenged young people to own the Green Republic Project and mass up to help make Ghana Green again

"We can never downplay the critical importance of trees to human existence because life can not be guaranteed without oxygen," he stressed.

The Green Republic Convener further reiterated that the youth needed to see the issue of deforestation and for that matter climate change as a matter of life and death and take action to redeem their future through reforestation.

" If we do not act swiftly and with fierce urgency we could in the very near future become climate refugees who would have to relocate to other countries or regions because of extreme weather conditions like excessive heat, drought, famine, poverty and disease,"he said.

He indicated that climate change remained the biggest war all humans would have to fight in the 21st century if humanity's continous existence was to be guaranteed. He called on government to consider the alarming deforestation rate of Ghana as a national security issue that demands urgent attention because the effects of polluted air through carbon emmissions for instance remained a major public health challenge.

Nana Osei-Darkwa hinted that until the state came up with laws outlawing and stridently regulating the logging of trees the country was endangering the lives of its future generations. He called on corporates to stop paying lip service to issues bothering on climate change and reach out to making real corporate social investments in the fight against climate change by adopting renewable energy sources and supporting climate justice programs like the Green Republic Project.

The Green Republic Convener and Team Lead highly commended the Northern Regional Manager and staff of the Forestry Commission for their swift response to their call and for actively participating in the program and providing all seedlings as well. He called on all Ghanaians to support the efforts of the Forestry Commission in greening Ghana.