The Forestry Commission is seeking the support of chiefs and other stakeholders in the Northern Region towards the Green Ghana project to ensure a successful planting of trees across the country.

Mr Nelson Nyadia Suleimana, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, who led a team of staff of the Commission to pay a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of Tamale to seek his support towards the project, appealed to traditional authorities in the region to impress on their people to embrace tree planting to protect the environment.

The courtesy call on the Chief formed part of efforts by the Forestry Commission to create awareness among members of the public about the government's Green Ghana project, where five million trees are expected to be planted across the country on June 11, this year.

The Green Ghana project forms part of efforts by the government to preserve the country's environment.

Practices such as illegal logging in high proportions, mining in forest reserves and pollution of water bodies had resulted in a reduction in trees and vegetation cover and the degradation of the country's environment hence the project.

As part of the project in the Northern Region, 250,000 seedlings including mahogany, acacia, shea and dawadawa have been nursed and would be distributed to faith-based organisations, institutions and individuals to plant across the region on June 11.

Mr Suleimana spoke about the significance of planting trees, saying "if we grow a tree, we contribute to our survival and poverty reduction," and appealed to traditional authorities to help change the behaviour of their people towards tree planting.

He emphasised that "People can plant trees for economic purposes. We need the vegetation in the north for our survival. Let us take care of the trees when we plant them to survive."

He said, "We are not saying people should not cut trees. We need to use plantations for lumber but not forests. If it becomes necessary for a tree to be cut, then five trees must be planted to replace it."

He called on residents to support the project, saying "Issues of environment, issues of promoting our vegetation cover have nothing to do with politics. It has to do with reducing deforestation, contributing towards the reduction of carbon emissions, which have repercussions for our existence as human beings. So, everyone must join this exercise so that we begin to repair our environment".

He also visited the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, where he held discussions with the Regional Coordinating Director, who stood in for the Regional Minister, on the Green Ghana project and the need for all to support it to ensure success.

He also visited nurseries in Tamale and Savelugu, where he commended the staff of the Commission and Youth in Afforestation for working hard to nurse the seeds for the planting exercise.

Elders of the Gulkpe-Naa (Paramount Chief of Tamale) Palace lauded the Green Ghana project, saying it would revive the country's vegetative cover and called for the engagement of the right stakeholders to plant the trees to ensure success.

Alhaji Alhassan Issahaku, Northern Regional Coordinating Director, said there was a need to secure the livelihoods of the people by securing forests, hence the significance of the project.

Alhaji Issahaku gave assurance that all stakeholders would be involved in the tree planting exercise to enable them to own the project to ensure success.