The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has said he is not happy with his chiefs in the Amansie area where illegal mining also known as Galamsey has taken over the landscape destroying forest and other vegetation cover.
According to him, his chiefs are aware that he (Otumfuo) has been speaking earnestly about illegal mining and that he is never pleased with them about their alleged involvement in the illegality.
Otumfuo made the statement while speaking at the official launching of the 2023 Green Ghana day event in Kumasi ahead of the project on 9th June 2023 across the country.
The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II reiterated his commitment towards preserving the country’s vegetation cover despite persistent destruction of forest reserves by illegal miners.
He said “as you know a couple of days ago I returned from London, where I added the coronation of Prince Charles the III whose number one legacy is perhaps his commitment to afforestation, reforestation and the fight against climate change.
Interestingly my private conversation with him was on land reclamation in Ghana and he agreed to collaborate with me for us to do that.
He directed his technical team to my team to formulate a policy to help Ghana reclaim some of our lands that are destroyed by illegal mining (Galamsey)’’ he disclosed.
Before the launched of Ministry of lands and Natural Resource and the Ghana Forestry Commission Green Ghana Day Project, the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has already commenced planting trees to protect the environment by planting 2.5 million tears on 6000 hector land towards the protection of Lake Bosomtwe the largest natural lake in the country.
This declaration was made by Otumfuo because of the important premium he attaches to protection to human life and the protection of the lake.
He further more added “as I stand here the minister of land and natural resource Knows that, done about 640 acres of teak plantation in Sekyere Kumawu.
I’m also collaborating with the forestry commission to develop another plantation in Offinso where I’m told we have done about two or more compartments.
That also we are going to continue to do it.”He said tree planting is now becoming his hobby because of the tremendous contribution it makes to the environment, climate change mitigation and improvement of livelihood for members of the French communities.
The trees he said also serves as homes to millions of wildlife that contribute to the sustainability of the earth, therefore, one cannot agree with the conservationist and the 26th President of the united states Franklin Delano Roosevelt , when he said “ to exist as a nation to prosper as a state to leave as a people we must have tress’’ for this reason Otumfuo said he has no reason but to embrace green Ghana project when it was launched in 2019.
He said “when old men plant trees society grows great and I have been doing that with my girl and I told her I will never sit under it but she will sit under the tree and for the past two years she has done that with me. we have two trees at the golf park she has nurtured one and I have also natured one’’
He commended Ashanti region for nurturing the higher number of trees thus 7.8 million out of over 31 million with of trees planted nationwide within two years and the trees are doing well.
This he said means “our sacrifices are not in vain and being wasted’’.
He encourage Ghanaians to renew their support towards this year’s green Ghana day three planting project under the theme “our forest our health summarizing the importance of forest to our lives’’He said it is not for nothing forests are called the lungs of the earth stressing without forest our lives on earth indicating for without forest our lives on the planets will be impossible.
Apart from the health benefits forest contributes significantly to nationals economies, however, the reality is that the country’s forest resources are under serious threat from several environmental challenges including illegal mining, the headache of Ghana, illegal logging deforestation, forest degradation, land degradation, climate Change, oil erosion and many other factors.