Obuasi Assembly vows to grow more trees to combat climate change

The Obuasi Municipal Assembly (OMA) has indicated that it will soon roll up a program to grow more grasses and trees in open spaces within the Municipality.

This according to the MCE Honorable Elijah Adansi-Bonah will complement the Government’s Green Ghana Agenda.

Speaking with the media at the Launch of the Green Ghana Day in Obuasi, the Obuasi MCE said the Assembly will work with the Obuasi office of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture ( MOFA) as well as the Physical planning department to identify open spaces in the Municipality to grow grasses and plant trees. This is intended to make Obuasi greener and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Introduced in 2021, the Green Ghana initiative seeks to create enhanced national awareness of the necessity for collective action towards restoration of degraded landscape in the country and inculcate in youth the value of planting and nurturing trees and their associated benefits.

The theme for this year’s edition was “Mobilizing for a Greener Future.”

Touching on the importance of the program to the people of Obuasi, Honorable Adansi-Bonah said Obuasi as a mining town has witnessed portions of its green vegetation depleted as a result of legal and illegal mining activities .

“Due to this, a conscious effort was needed to be taken to reduce if not to stop it hence we deem the introduction of the Green Ghana Day by the Government as a timely intervention.”.

He assured that this year’s celebration will not be business as usual but the Assembly has put in place concrete measures to ensure that seedlings planted are nurtured so that they reach maturity.

The Obuasi MCE also lifted the lid on plans by the Assembly to deal with those who indulge in indiscriminate cutting of trees. He said the Assembly is in the process of reviewing its bye-laws and would consider introducing punitive action against those who destroy the vegetation cover, in its bye-laws.

The Senior Manager Sustainability, Anglogold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine Emmanuel Baidoo said the company in support of the Green Ghana initiative by the Government will grow 1000 trees every year.

“AGA together with AGA Malaria Control and other stakeholders in the communities is committed to plant 1000 trees every year. This year, we are aiming to scale it up to 2000. We will make sure the trees that are planted are well nurtured and end up being developed to contribute to the diversity we all anticipate”.

Henry Yeboah, the Supervisor of the Obuasi office of the Forestry commission said due to the successful implementation of the program last year, Government decided to increase the seedlings from 5 million to 20 million.

He gave the seedlings planted in Obuasi in 2021, a 70% survival rate and promised to continue to monitor those that are given out this year.

He reiterated that Obuasi has been given 19,000 seedlings to be given out freely to individuals, Churches and organizations. He further advised beneficiaries to maintain and protect them.

Donation

In a related development, Hon ElijahAdansi-Bonah has distributed 700 coconut seedlings to 21 farmers in the Obuasi Municipality.  This was after the MCE donated 1000 coconut seedlings to some farmers in the Municipality about a month ago.

The donation forms part of the Government’s Planting for Export and Rural Development Program.

Nananom, Assembly Members and Heads of Department were all present.