The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Yussif Sulemana, has made a passionate appeal to traditional leaders, environmental groups and other stakeholders in the northern part of Ghana to plant more indigenous trees like the Shea and Dawadawa trees to prevent their extinction.
According to him, the two most important economic trees that provide livelihood for thousands of women faces a serious threat of extinction
The Deputy Minister also warned against commercial charcoal burning and other activities that have the tendency of destroying the environment.
Mr Yussif Sulemana was addressing the media after a tree planting exercise in Bole as part of a nationwide exercise under the Tree for Life Program by government to plant 30 million trees across the country.
“We all grew up to see the abundance of Shea and Dawadawa trees which our mothers depended hugely on for our household income, but today these trees are facing near extinction due to our own human activities such as logging and commercial charcoal burning. We need to replant them to keep our family income.”
“This tree planting exercise is not only about planting the trees as we’ve seen in time past but it’s about nurturing them to grow and be beneficial to our very survival,” he said.
He admonished Ghanaians to take interest in undertaking activities that protect the environment.
“Our environment is fast depleting. Climate Change remains a threat, and we need to combat climate change, address environmental degradation, and support sustainable land management, particularly in areas affected by illegal mining and wood harvesting,” he said.
District Chief Executive for Bole, Abdulai Mahamud gave an assurance that the Bole District Assembly will collaborate with the Forestry Commission to nurse more seedlings to make the tree planting exercise an everyday activity.
“We won’t repent in our efforts to plant the trees. The Tree for Life program is a nice one and we here in Bole will make it an everyday thing,” he assured.
