Don’t say there is galamsey so you won’t plant trees – Speaker Bagbin tell MPs

The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagin has raised concern about government’s tree-planting initiative.

President Akufo-Addo’s administration in the last two years has been planting trees across the country under its Green Ghana agenda.

Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, June 8, Alban Bagbin proposed that instead of planting seedlings, it will be better if government planted trees.

“The tree planting you’ve seen in the Middle East, Dubai, and the rest where they really bring trees and plant for a desert to be turned into forest. That is tree planting. What we do here is planting seedlings and we should talk about growing trees,” the Speaker of Parliament said.

In an appeal to Members of Parliament, the Speaker urged the lawmakers not to say because there is illegal mining (galamsey) in the country they won’t plant trees.

He pleaded with all MPs to make it a point to join the efforts of government today to plant as many trees as possible.

“We plant and go away and the survival rate is what we are talking about which we have to work on. But I believe that it’s better to do this than to say that because there is galamsey (illegal mining) we will not plant the trees, then we will worsen the situation.

“So please I want to encourage members to continue and let’s grow the trees together and I will direct that honorable members to as usual proceed to lead their constituents in the exercise. So there will be no sitting on Friday,” Alban Bagbin said.

This year, government has set a target to plant 10 million trees across the country.

Already, government is nurturing over 23 million trees planted in the last two years.