The Government has been urged to involve 'Plantation Timber Operators' in the national afforestation programme, launched in January by President John Evans Atta Mills, to maximize the outcome.

According to the Concerned Plantation Timber Operators (CTPO), it is no longer desirable to leave afforestation projects to the Forestry Commission, as was done in the past.

The group made the observation on Monday in Accra where it met the media to call the attention of the government and stakeholders in the plantation timber industry to "certain irregularities in the industry." The event was addressed by Mr Bright Nkeyasen, Managing Director of In God's Service Wood Pro. Ind. Ltd.

The group's call resonated with the belief of some interest groups that the national afforestation programme must not be oversimplified to a mere "tree planting" exercise but should be considered more comprehensively as "tree growing" so as to ensure that seedlings are nurtured and not left to wither. The involvement of various organized groups, therefore, becomes very vital.

Mr. Nkeyasen, acting as spokesperson of the Concerned Plantation Timber Operators, also urged President Mills "to invite Hon Prof. Dominic Fobih, Hon. Madam Cecilia Obeng Dapaa, both former Sector Ministers and Prof. Ashey Kotey, the former CEO of the Forestry Commission to answer why they blatantly ignored the law and illegally sold the country's plantation forest reserves and caused huge revenue loss to the nation."

He alleged that between 2004 and 2007, the three former appointees of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), variously set aside competitive bidding processes and awarded timber lots to "foreign" timber companies and their local partners at ridiculously low prices leading to about 60% loss in timber revenue. He said these were done regardless of the provisions of Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 1721 passed in 2003 by Parliament to regulate the award of plantation timber rights.

The spokesperson pointed out that the actions of the officials had led to the destruction of forest plantations including: the Apepesu Forest reserve on the Kadjebi to Krachi-Nkwanta road; Kabo Forest reserve on the Worawora-Dambai road; and Opro Forest reserve on the Abofo-Techiman road.

Over 75% of the total land area in Ghana was originally covered by forests. This was estimated at 8.2 million hectares. Currently, it is estimated that the country's forest cover stands at only 1.6 million hectares representing 19.5%.

"Deforestation rate is also estimated to be 65,000 hectares per annum in the country." At this rate of deforestation, Ghana will be without forests within the next 23 years if prudent measures are not put in place to address the factors responsible for this current situation," Hon. Collins Dauda, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, said at the 'Meet-The-Press' series in November 2009.

A National Forest Plantation Development Programme that seeks to increase the forest cover and to promote employment for Ghanaians and contribute to the fight against rural poverty has been developed.

The programme, dubbed, "Greening the Environment for a Better Ghana", was launched by President Mills at Abofour in the Offinso North District of the Ashanti Region. It is understood the programme would cover all ecological zones including the coastal and northern savannas.

It is estimated that 100 District Assemblies will be covered in both on- and off-reserves areas from 2010 to 2011. By the end of the period, more than 51,000 jobs are expected to be created in all 170 district assemblies of the country.

Government sources say one percent of the District Assemblies' Common Fund (DACF) has been committed to massive tree planting in hundred districts this year. Each District Assembly will employ 300 workers for the plantation programme. Cumulatively, this will create 30,000 jobs within the period.

Ghana appears to be riding on the back of the Copenhagen Accord of Climate Change which recognized the crucial role of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD-plus) and the need to provide positive incentives through immediate establishment of a mechanism including REDD-plus to mobilize financial resources from developed countries for re-afforestation and agro-forestry.