AngloGold Ashanti Ghana, (AGAG) Obuasi Mine, has expressed its commitment to plant 1,000 seedlings in schools and communities within its operational footprint every year in support of the Government’s Green Ghana initiative.
According to the mining company, the plan is not just to plant but also, to monitor the growth of the seedlings into matured trees, as part of the Green Ghana initiative, introduced in 2021 by the government.
The Green Ghana initiative, introduced in 2021, is intended to create enhanced national awareness of the necessity for collective action towards restoration of degraded landscape in the country and inculcate in the youth the value of planting and nurturing trees and their associated benefits.
Mr Emmanuel Baidoo, Senior Manager-Sustainability Department of the Mine, mentioned these at the weekend during the planting of 1,000 seedlings in some selected operational communities to commemorate the Green Ghana Day.
He intimated that AGAG would undertake the tree planting exercise by collaborating with AGA Malaria Control and other stakeholders in the communities the mine operates.
Mr Baidoo mentioned that the mining company has prepared a comprehensive Environment Management Plan, part of which was to ensure that they implemented a robust reclamation programme to restore the land they have disturbed to its original state.
Lauding the government for the Green Ghana initiative, the Senior Manager-Sustainability, said the initiative was aligned to AGAG’s overall objective so they considered it as a pledge to their commitment to invest in interventions that protect the environment.
“As part of the company’s Socio-Economic Development Interventions, the Obuasi Mine is currently implementing the Climate Resilient Oil Palm (CROP) Project, which is targeting 2,000 hectares of land in its first phase of five years, to plant agro forestry trees”, he indicated.
The objective of the CROP project according to Mr Baidoo “is to ensure that all disturbed lands due to the Mine’s activities are reclaimed and used for economic purposes by planting oil palms and other cash crops on them”.
He revealed that the CROP project would be implemented on lands that have been used for illegal mining and riverbanks, particularly the Jimi River.
“This is a commitment we are implementing together with our stakeholders including the Solidaridad West Africa, Department of Agriculture and Traditional Authorities. We are working to leave a sound environmental legacy”, he concluded.
Mr Henry Yeboah, the Supervisor of the Obuasi office of the Forestry commission said due to the successful implementation of the programme in 2021, government decided to increase the seedlings from five million to 20 million.
He gave the seedlings planted in Obuasi in 2021, a 70 per cent survival rate and promised to continue to monitor those that were given out this year.
He reiterated that Obuasi has been given 19,000 seedlings to be given out freely to individuals, churches and organisations and advised beneficiaries to maintain and protect them.
FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE, KUMASI
