Stewards Ghana, a youth activist group affiliated to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in collaboration with the Forestry Commission has embarked on a Greening Ghana project within the Accra metropolis.
This was geared towards inculcating in the youth the Greening Ghana Agenda to keep the environment clean and green.
So far, the group had initiated clean-up and tree planting exercises within the metropolis to increase the number of trees in health facilities, provide shade for patients and visitors and provide hygienic conditions.
It cleaned, scrubbed, weeded and planted trees within the precincts of the Maamobi General Hospital with officials of the Forestry Commission.
Ms Harriet Nana Serwaa, leader of the group, indicated that the group embarked on the project to mark the birthday of its key patron, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission, as well as support his tree planting vision.
“As patron of our group, we wanted to extend a warm gesture to him on his birthday for the help he has offered the group over the years, when we contacted him about our intentions, he advised us to embark on a clean-up exercise and tree planting campaign in his honour and that is exactly what we had done,” Ms Serwaa stressed.
She praised Mr.Afriyie’s efforts in recruiting close to a thousand youth to the Forestry Commission and for making his outfit an opportunity for the youth.
Dr. Ameyaw Kwakye, a technical advisor at the Forestry Commission, who received a citation in honour of Mr Afriyie, thanked the group on his behalf and commended them for embarking on a laudable project.
He appealed to other youth groups to adopt similar projects to increase the number of trees in health facilities, greening project and keep the environment hygienic throughout the country saying, “A lot of trees in a hospital environment provide lots of benefits.
“The air around the hospital will always be refreshing and both patients and visitors can take shade under the trees which is an initiative that must be lauded and projected,” Dr Ameyaw remarked.
Dr Kwakye also cautioned the public against indiscriminate felling of old trees deemed to have become a nuisance and entreated that contact should be made with the Forestry Commission to handle such situations.
For his part, Dr. Issah Shaibu of the Maamobi General Hospital, lauded the group for their philanthropic work, and assured that their doors were always opened to receive such assistance from the public.
BY NANA BENTSI ODURO
