The government has expressed appreciation to Ghanaians for their participation and making the June 11 Green Ghana Day successful.

Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources expressed the appreciation in a statement on the floor of Parliament.

“I wish to express my profound gratitude to the multitudes of people who participated in this national and Godly exercise,” he said.

Mr Jinapor said: “Mr Speaker, it is fitting that I, especially, indicate the appreciation of government to the entire leadership and Members of this august House for suspending the business of the House on Friday, June 11, the Green Ghana Day, in full support of this important national effort.

He added: “This is a significant step to preserving our environment and ecosystem, which will enable us to make our modest contribution to the ongoing global fight against climate change…. Above all, we thank the ordinary citizens and residents of Ghana for their overwhelming co-operation and participation in this national exercise.”

Green Ghana is an initiative of the Government of Ghana aimed at planting five million trees in a single day, June 11, across the country, with expected nurturing of the trees to maturity.

The exercise, under the auspices of the Forestry Commission and the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry, had the objective of ensuring the planting of over five million trees across the country.

The initiative, after its launch on Friday, June 11, 2021, saw President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, Chief Justice Kwasi Annin-Yeboah, Traditional Rulers and Leaders of Religious Groups and top government officials and members of the public plant trees in their homes, schools, and other designated areas.

The day is expected to be commemorated on June 11, every year.

The Minister said figures were still being collated across the sixteen 16 regions, but provisional figures from the Forestry Commission clearly show that the exercise exceeded the five million target.

“This is remarkable and historic,” the Minister said, adding, “the demand for seedlings was overly subscribed, the enthusiasm of individuals and corporate institutions to plant trees was enormous and this has awakened a new national consciousness on the need to plant trees.”

Mr Jinapor said several requests were still trickling in for additional seedlings and assured the House that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources had put in place an elaborate strategy of continuous planting of trees.

“We are, indeed, fully determined to Green Ghana,” the Minister emphasized, and advised that Ghanaians show such unity and sense of purpose in all other national activities.

“With a tenacious spirit, resolve and focus, we must and will make our nation Green, environmentally sustainable and beautiful.”

Contributions from both sides of the House stressed the need to nurture and monitor the growth of the seedlings planted.