Management and staff of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), on Friday, joined the government’s Green Ghana Tree Planting Campaign to plant 1,000 trees within the main Tema and Takoradi Ports.
“The need to plant more trees for shade and control global warming effects propelled the GPHA to join the government’s initiative to green Ghana,” Mr. Michael Luguje, GPHA Director-General stated as the team defied the early morning downpour to start the process.
The GPHA Director-General welcoming staff and stakeholders to the launch of the authority’s tree planting exercise said it was a privilege for them to be part of the national Green Ghana project and the global project of sustainability.
Mr Luguje said the project afforded them the opportunity to play their various roles to improve climate change, adding that the day coincided with the World Environment Day, which was observed on the theme; “Only One Earth”.
He noted that the day was also being observed by the GPHA as its Health and Safety Environment Day, which was also on the theme “One Earth One Life” explaining that it was important to remind the public of the importance of the earth.
The GPHA Director-General said: “It’s also to remind us of the importance of the earth, we are human beings existing because the earth exists, so anything we do that extinct the earth means that we will also be extinct”.
Mr Frederick Adom, the Deputy Minister of Transport said the Green Ghana Campaign which was launched in 2021 with the aim of promoting and encouraging the planting of trees all over the country saw the planting of seven million trees last year.
Mr Adom expressed the joy that out of the number planted, 6.3 of the trees survived, this he said was encouraging making government to upscale its target of trees to be planted this year to 20 million.
He said as climate issues, especially how to reduce its impact on human existence had become a global topical issue, everyone must contribute towards preventing trees from dying.
He said, “someone may be under the shade of a tree today, because someone sometime back planted a tree, let us all get involved to cultivate the habit of making Ghana green.”
