The La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipal Assembly has introduced an award scheme to encourage schools and residents to partake actively in the Green Ghana program in the municipality.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Mrs. Jennifer Dede Adjabeng, made the announcement after leading a team to distribute and plant over 10,000 tree seedlings as part of the Green Ghana programme in the municipality.
The package, in the form of educational materials and other logistics, would be presented to streams, forms, and houses within schools that are able to nurture their trees to maturity.
Mr. Kwaku Ohene Gyan, the National Service Secretariat’s Deputy Executive Director in charge of operations, and Mr. Paul Appiah Owusu, the National Service Secretariat’s Director in charge of administration were among the dignitaries who attended the event.
The team planted more than 50 trees, at the Madina one Cluster of Schools, whilst about 300 species were given to the staff to be distributed to the various classes who would be in charge and the three best streams would be selected and awarded accordingly.
Other basic and senior high schools as well non-governmental organisations, faith-based groups, private individuals, driver unions, and traders associations were also promised packages if they are able to take good care of the tree seedlings until maturity.
Mrs. Adjabeng urged the public to get involved and buy into the government’s vision to sustain and preserve the environment, so as to mitigate the effects of climate change.
She charged residents not to just plant the seedlings but to also ensure that they survive. She challenged schools to make tree seedlings planting a major part of their extra curriculum activities.
Mr. Bonti Seth, the headteacher of the Cluster One Resource Centre, assured the MCE of the school’s commitment to tree seedling planting as a long-term practice.
He appealed to the government to support the school to fence its compound to prevent encroachment and ensure security adding, “Let’s fence the school, it is too open and dangerous”
According to Antoinette Enyonam Amegbletor, the Municipal Director of Parks and Gardens, the activity saw schools, churches, NGOs, Assembly personnel, and the general public join hands to plant more than 10,000 tree seedlings across the municipality’s fifteen electoral areas.
He said the rains had hampered the operation, but that the remaining 20,000 seedlings will be planted within the week.