The Green Republic Project, a youth driven climate action initiative, won two strategic awards at the maiden Ghana Environmental and Sanitation Awards (GESA) event held on Saturday, October 1st, 2022, at the AH Hotel in Accra.
Organized by the EduEnter Group Ghana in collaboration with support from the Ministry of Sanitation & Water Resources, the GESA 2022 celebrated individuals and organizations impacting Ghana’s Environmental and Sanitation ecosystem.
The awards ceremony brought together stakeholders from the Government Sector, Private Sector, Media, Civil Society, Multi & Bilateral organizations, some of whom were recognized for their contributions to helping improve Ghana’ Environmental and Sanitation drive.
The Convener of the Green Republic Project Nana Yaw Osei-Darkwa was recognized for his untiring effort at helping green Ghana through his strong advocacy for a National Tree Planting Day dating which eventually caught the attention of Government and its subsequent implementation in June 2021.
Nana Yaw Osei-Darkwa was awarded the “Most Impactful Green Ghana Ambassador ” also for leading The Green Republic Project to show the way in planting thousands of trees as nature-based solution to the existential threat of climate change and global warming.
The Green Republic Project was also recognized as the “Most Impactful Climate Change and Biodiversity Conservation Organization” for their creative approach at helping preserve the environment through landscapes restoration actions and advocacy.
Speaking to the media on the side-lines of the awards night, Nana Yaw Osei-Darkwa thanked the organizers of this very important awards scheme to recognize and honour individuals and organizations for their modest efforts at overcoming environmental and sanitation challenges confronting our nation.
“This scheme needs encouragement and support in the coming years, and I call on corporate Ghana to support it.” He further espoused that tree remain humanity’s best ally as far as life was concerned and as such every effort must be made to ensure that we plant and care for as many trees as we can in preserving life.
He opined “it is therefore very frustrating how some humans are recklessly ripping the belly of the earth through irresponsible and unsustainable ways for gold and endangering the entire nation for their parochial and selfish interest.
Nana Yaw Osei-Darkwa called on government to crack the whip and make Galamsey unattractive through punitive measures. He stressed ” Nobody holds the right to illegality and impunity in destroying our environment to meet their selfish goals. Every Ghanaian must be concerned about this existential threat which holds the potential of wiping Ghana off the map because waterbodies are being poisoned and forests depleting at lightning speed.
Nana Yaw Osei-Darkwa reiterated the need for the depoliticization of the fight against Galamsey, saying that any politician who finds it convenient to use Galamsey as a tool to garner support is a nation wrecker and a terrorist by extension.
The Green Republic Convener said although he admits that the youth of Ghana are faced with unemployment challenges, that does not in any way warrant an attack on our collective life as a nation saying nobody has the right to endanger everybody. He called on government to continue to engage and find creative means of creating employment to engage the raw and skilled energies of the nation’s youth going forward.
Other prominent personalities awarded on the night included the Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyapong, and his company Zoomlion Ghana Limited, and Mr. Ernest Morgan Acquah, General Manager of Metropolitan Waste and Allied Services.