Youth Afforestation Programme underway in Kumasi
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), under the Youth Afforestation Programme, has recruited one thousand youth to undertake massive tree-planting across the metropolis.
This was facilitated by the Forestry Commission in collaboration with the Youth Employment Agency, and the move is in tandem with the Assembly’s flagship project “Keep Kumasi Clean and Green (KKCG)”.
It is an agenda by the Assembly to improve the fauna and flora in the metropolis, while restoring it to its former status as the ‘Garden City of West Africa’.
Hon. Osei Assibey Antwi, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), who disclosed this recently at a General Assembly meeting, said the venture was also to create employment for the youth, while providing them with meaningful lives to contribute positively to the development of Kumasi.
Under the ‘Keep Kumasi Clean and Green’ project, the Assembly had been instrumental and working assiduously to enhancing the scenic beauty of the city.
The Mayor said they were determined to addressing the changing climatic conditions with the tree planting exercise and, therefore, urged the people, especially assembly-members to be supportive of the project.
Meanwhile, at a brief ceremony for the official commencement of the Youth Afforestation Programme, the Right Reverend Professor Osei Safo-Kantanka, Chairman of the KKCG, advised religious bodies and civil society organizations to come on board to realize the objectives of the project.
He said ensuring environmental sustenance was a shared responsibility, and stressed the need for all to be responsive to issues relating to the ecology and bio-diversity.
Mr. Thomas Okyere, Ashanti Regional Forestry Manager, assured that his outfit would provide the necessary technical support to achieve objectives of the Assembly as related to the tree-planting exercise.
He announced that the Commission would be providing Wellington boots, rain coats, cutlasses and other logistics required for a successful exercise.