Gov’t using Green Ghana Day to distract Ghanaians from its failure to protect our forests – A Rocha Ghana

A Rocha Ghana has stressed that government must do more beyond commemorating Green Ghana Day if it really wants to protect forests in the country and the environment.

Addressing a press conference in Accra on Friday, June 9, A Rocha Ghana Deputy National Director Daryl Bosu alleged that government is only embarking on the Green Ghana Day to distract Ghanaians from its failure to protect the country’s forests.

According to him, Green Ghana Day will continue to be a greenwashing agenda unless government takes bold steps to secure forest reserves in the country.

“..until government takes active steps to secure all forest reserves indeed, we reiterate that, Green Ghana Day will continue to be a green washing agenda by government to distract all of us from their terrible record of securing forests and biodiversity in Ghana,” Daryl Bosu said at the press conference.

At the press conference whic was organised by A Rocha Ghana as part of the Civil Society Organisation’s commemoration of Friday’s Green Ghana Day it raised concern about L.I.2462, insisting that it will further cause more destruction of the country’s already highly depleted forest estates if it is not abolished.

Mr Daryl Bosu noted that the Forestry Commission must stop granting any Forest Entry Permits for mining in forest reserves while urging the Minerals Commission to immediately revoke all mining licences in the reserves, beginning with those granted to irresponsible companies.

“The forests must be fully protected from all mining, both government-licensed and galamsey, otherwise their integrity and capacity to support life will soon be gone. Government’s Green Ghana Day can plant 500 billion trees every year, but it can never bring back Ghana’s old growth forests,” Daryl Bosu argued.

The press conference was held by A Rocha Ghana in collaboration with Nature Development Foundation, Ecoconscious Citizens, Youth Alliance for Green Ghana, and Ghana Youth Environment Movement.