Rotary District 9102 as part of its Green Project campaign yesterday planted over 2,000 tree seedlings at the Pantang Hospital in the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipality in the Greater Accra Region.
The event dubbed "One Rotarian One Tree" also formed part of the group's activities to commemorate this year's World Environment Day celebrations.
The Rotary International District 9102 Governor, Victor Yaw Asante, speaking at the ceremony said the exercise was aimed at complementing government's afforestation and reforestation programme towards improving Ghana's green vegetation cover.
District 9102, he stated was supporting efforts to preserve the environment across Ghana's 16 regions through the "Green District 9102 Project" to mitigate climate change and its negative effects.
Mr Asante who is also the Managing Director of FBN Bank said over 100,000 trees would be planted in partnership with the Ministries of Lands and Natural Resources and Environment, Science & Technology as well as the Forestry Commission.
"Rotary District 9102 is not just planting 100,000 trees but we plan to ensure that all these trees grow that is why we have made available wooden guards and would constantly be monitored by our designated Rotarians and Rotractors in collaboration with our partners over the critical period of growth," he added.
Protecting our environment Mr Asante explained was the foundation for a sustainable future for this and the next generation and the economy, warning "if we fail to protect our environment, we will put the lives of humans, animals, plants, and more at risk, this situation must not be allowed to continue adding "this is the reason for Rotary District 9102's "Green District 9102 Project" to support the charge to tackle the environment and arrest the decline".
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Mr Asante on behalf of the FBN Bank presented a dummy cheque with a face value of GH₵20,000 to the government towards Friday's Green Ghana Day programme.
The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu Bio, who joined the Rotarians to plant the trees and also received the cheque commended the group for demonstrating leadership in supporting government's effort in the Green Ghana campaign.
He lauded the enthusiasm of Ghanaians who are joining the cause to get involved in Friday's "Let Go Tree Planting" initiative which would see the planting of over 10 million trees nationwide.
The La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Chief Executive, Mrs Jennifer Dede Adjabeng, who expressed gratitude to the group for choosing the hospital assured of effectively collaborating with the management of the facility to ensure that the trees are properly nurtured to maturity.
The Member of Parliament for Madina, Francis Xavier-Sosu, said tree planting was one of the biggest legacies a country could bequeath to its next generation.
He also assured of partnering the hospital and other stakeholders to protect the trees to maturity.
The Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr Frank Benin, appealed to the Rotarians to use their influence to prevent further encroachment on their lands, adding that the group had for so many years been very helpful to the facility and urged for more support to enable the hospital provide first class service to the people.
