The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor has said a concerted effort is needed to restore the country’s depleting vegetative cover.

Activities of illegal mining popularly referred to as galamsey continue to destroy water bodies and forest reserves.

The government in an effort to restore the vegetative cover launched the Green Ghana Project with the aim of planting five million trees.

Speaking to Citi News after a tree planting exercise in honour of the late Jerry John Rawlings by the J.J. Rawlings Foundation, Samuel Abu Jinapor pledged the government’s commitment to ensuring the success of the project.

“I believe that we will be able to sustain the programme and the processes. God willing, with concerted efforts, we will be able to restore the forest cover of our country, thereby contributing to the global fight against climate change.”

“I think that this is a very important initiative by the Jerry John Rawlings Foundation and me as the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, we are going to partner them to ensure that this noble and godly target they have set for themselves to plant trees across the country is accomplished. This is about the survival of our country, and that is why we are so passionate about it. So we have no choice but to work to ensure that the vision of the president is realized.”

Meanwhile, the Director of the J.J. Rawlings Foundation and daughter of the late J.J. Rawlings, Yaa Asantewaa Agyeman Rawlings highlighted how important a healthy environment meant to her father.

“I think we are all aware that our environment is being depleted. We are aware of the illegal mining and its effects on our rivers and the indiscriminate felling of trees, and in general, we seem to have lost respect for protecting our environment.”

“So I think this is a way not just to mark the memory of my father but to get Achimota students involved.”