The Upper West Regional Minister, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih, has praised certain local traditional chiefs for their efforts to protect the environment by outlawing harmful environmental activities.

He specifically mentioned Kuoro Osman Deiwia Nanka Ill, the Paramount Chief of the Pulima Traditional Area in the Sissala West District, who during the 2023 Gandawi Festival proclaimed the area’s prohibition on commercial charcoal production.

Dr. Salih gave the commendation in Wa on Friday, while speking on the 2023 edition of the Green Ghana Day (GGD) in the region on the theme: “Our Forest; Our Health” with Heads of Department and Agencies including the security agencies in attendance.

Just after the event, the Minister took the initiative to plant a tree on the grounds of the Upper West Regional Hospital, and other department heads quickly followed suit by doing the same.

“I highly commend him (Kuoro Nanka) and all others for their bold initiatives taken to protect our environment and assure him of the government’s support to enforce the ban.
“This is not only a noble course, but also in line with His Excellency the President’s vision of sustaining the environment for enhanced ecological and sustainable development.”
Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih

Due to the area’s proximity to the Sahara Desert, the threat of desertification was evident, and he stressed that the residents of the area needed to support the government’s green Ghana project.

The Minister noted that the country’s food and energy security had been seriously threatened by the virtual annihilation of the ecosystem.

He emphasized the importance of everyone supporting the government’s efforts to protect the environment, particularly the country’s prohibition on unlawful mining.

Let Us Continue To Care For The Trees We Plant

The Upper West Regional Manager of the Forestry Commission (FC), Mr. Godfred Quashigah, stated that the region had a target of 300,000 trees to plant as opposed to a national target of 10 million trees to mark the Green Ghana Day.

He stated that the Green Ghana Day trees planted in the area over the previous two years, had a survival rate of about 80% and added that the effort would assist rebuild the country’s deteriorated and deforested landscapes and increase resilience to climate change.

The purpose of the day, according to Mr. Quashigah, was to educate young people about the importance of planting and caring for trees and the advantages they provide, as well as how doing so can help fight climate change and preserve water resources.

He, therefore, urged the public to see tree planting as a continuous exercise which they should do regularly, saying, “Let us continue to care for the trees we plant, ensuring that they are well nurtured and become well established.”

The medical Director of the Upper West Regional Hospital, Dr. Robert Amesiya, noted that more than 80% of the 915 trees planted on hospital property during the Green Ghana Day last year survived and had improved the facility’s aesthetics.

The Chief Executive Officer of the FC, Mr. John Allotey, issued a message on his behalf urging the populace to mobilize all resources in order to surpass the 300,000 target for the area and to nurture and develop them so that the government’s investment in the program wouldn’t be for nothing.