The Ashantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has commended his Kingdom (the Ashanti region) for leading the national tree planting exercise dubbed-Green Ghana.
He pointed out that his region has consistently planted the highest number of trees since the green Ghana project was initiated in 2021.
The Asantehene was proud to disclosed that the region alone accounts for over 7. 8 million out of the about 31 million trees that have been planted so far under the Green Ghana project in the country.
He was glad to note that majority of the trees planted so far survive and growing well.
The King of the Ashanti Kingdom made the disclosure when he launched the 2023 edition of the Green Ghana Project at the Great Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi.
Addressing the function before launching the project, the revered King argued that tree contributes significantly to almost every aspect of the human life.
He described the theme for this year exercise: Forests, our Health as a summary of the very importance of tress to our lives.
He pointed that trees play the leading role in environmental protection, climate change mitigation as well as improve livelihoods of members of forest fringe communities.
The Asantehene also observed that trees are home to millions of wild lives that contribute to the sustainability of the earth.
He buttressed his speech with the famous statement by the 26 President of the United State of America and conservationist, Theodore Roosevelt that “to exist as a nation, to prosper as a state, to live as a people, we must have trees”.
Otumfuo mentioned that as leader, he has always participated in the national tree planting exercise since the beginning of the Green Ghana initiative, acknowledging that societies grow when old men grow tree under whose shade they will never sit.
“I had no difficulty embracing the Green Ghana project when it was launched. For the past two years we’ve done that, myself and my daughter so we have two trees each at the Golf Park.
She has nurtured hers and I have nurtured mine. I told her I will never sit under that tree, but she will sit under the tree” the Ashantihene said lightheartedly.
He on that note commended the government for the Green Ghana Project and appealed to all national stakeholders and the citizenry to ensure active participation in exercise.
