ECCAG commended for greening Ghana efforts

Accra, Oct 1, GNA - The Kwahu South District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Kwame Onwona-Asante, has commended the Environmentally Concerned Citizens Association of Ghana (ECCAG) for its efforts aimed at promoting sanitation, wildlife protection, and especially its tree- planting programme as part of the nationwide Green Ghana Education Awareness Campaign.

The DCE pointed out that the District, which was one of the six selected districts in the Eastern Region under the Tree planting initiative faced a problem posed by Fulani herdsmen whose cattle destroyed food crops, farms and other plants in the area. He appealed to the ECCAG to supply the area with tree species such as cassia, jateopha and teak for planting since cattle did not graze on such trees.

Mr Onowoma-Asante appealed to the Greening Ghana Secretariat to support the national Youth Employment Programme to employ more youth to undertake tree planting and to nurture their growth along side the Zoomlion Company executing the sanitation module of the programme throughout the country. The DCE was speaking at the launch of the environmental sanitation, wildlife protection and tree-planting programme of the Green Ghana Education Awareness Campaign at Mpraeso organised by the ECCAG in collaboration with the District Assembly attended by Chiefs, Queen mothers, Heads of Departments, Assembly Members, school children and the community.

The National President of the ECCAG, Mr J Y Aidoo, said the organisation had presented 10,000 tree seedlings for planting in the region and gave out 60 Greening Ghana Tee shirts for distribution to those engaged in the programme through the Forest Services Division and the Greening Ghana Secretariat.

He advised that the tree species should be planted along water bodies, school compounds and churches and other places to serve as windbreaks to prevent disasters and to protect the ecology. Mr Aidoo appealed to District Assemblies throughout the country to provide sites for the Zoomlion Company, to dump refuse collected under its sanitation efforts, which could be processed into manure and for re-cycling.

The Chairman for the occasion, Nana Samuah Agyepong, Chief Asakraku and the Presiding Member of the District Assembly urged Assembly Members to lead their communities to plant trees and appealed for more seedlings to promote the initiative in the District.