The Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations are expected to be met by 2030. However, the detrimental effects of climate change continue to jeopardize the basics essential for achieving the goals.
Prof. Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah, Vice-Chancellor of Sunyani Technical University, STU, has announced that the staff and students will plant 10,000 tree seedlings and nurture them to assist mitigate the effects of climate change and global warming.
He said the exercise will be a legacy initiative in support of the Green Ghana project for the University's 55th anniversary celebration, which will culminate on November 5, 2022.
On Friday, June 10, 2022, he made the announcement at the Bono Regional Green Ghana Day exercise on the STU campus. The Bono Regional Minister, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), Forestry Commission officials, and STU and UENR administration and staff were all in attendance.
The government planned to use Green Ghana Day to plant 20 mSTU Vice Chancellor Prof. Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah said staff and students are planting 2,000 tree seedlings to celebrate the day, with plans to plant more in the future.
"I urge folks to own the trees by imprinting their names on them so that they may look back in the future with pride at how meaningful this activity was to them," he added.
He said that the exercise will also serve to reaffirm their commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Sunyani Technical University will plant and care for 10,000 trees as part of its 55th anniversary celebrations.
Prof Elvis Asare-Bediako, the vice chancellor of UENR, praised President Nana Akufo-Addo for a "great endeavor" to green Ghana. illion trees across the country, with a regional target of 1.2 million trees, under the theme "Mobilizing for a Greener Future."
The initiative aims to raise national awareness of the importance of collective action in the afforestation and restoration of the country's degraded landscape, instill in youth the value of planting and nurturing trees and their associated benefits, improve community livelihoods through participation in the production of tree seedlings, and beautify the environment.
He emphasized that it is their job as academic institutions to lead in the Bono Region by assisting the regional coordinating council and the forestry commission in advancing the critical national agenda on climate change.
He urged academic institutions, students, and opinion leaders not to be afraid to get their hands dirty by planting trees.
Prof Asare-Bediako, an agriculturist, appreciated the role trees continue to play in his life, including providing food, shelter, and medicines.
This, he explained, underscores the importance of the Green Ghana initiative because "when the last tree dies, the last man dies." Prior to the formal tree planting exercise, Bono Regional Minister Justina Owusu Banahene stated it is past time for the Municipal and District Assemblies to establish by-laws to prevent the tree seedlings planted from being eaten by cattle, sheep, and cows in the communities.
Sunyani Technical University will plant and care for 10,000 trees as part of its 55th anniversary celebrations.
She believes that if there are functional by-laws in place, powerful leaders will refrain from arguing on behalf of those whose animals have gone rogue, feeding and destroying objects such as trees.
"So please understand that while we are planting, we are also sounding a warning to you that if we catch you this time - and I pray we don't – the law will take its course. I'm finished.
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