Wife of Ghana’s Vice President, Samira Bawumia, joined a number of high profile Ghanaian personalities to commemorate this year’s World Environment Day.
They used the occasion to plant trees around the St Thomas Aquinas Senior High School in Accra to symbolise the need to protect the environment but Mrs Bawumia particularly asked that action be taken of the plastic waste menace in the country.
Speaking at the event on Tuesday, the Second Lady said there was an urgent need for plastic waste harvest and recycling because plastic waste dumped on the streets get into the sea and destroy aquatic life.
She cited an example of a whale dying recently with scientists finding that it had consumed seven kilos of plastic waste in the sea.
She said it takes 100s of years for plastic waste to decompose, as a result they poses real danger to the environment and to life.
The Accra Mayor, Mohammed Adjei Sowah, who was also at the event held at the St Thomas Aquinas Senior High School, said as part of the greening Accra project, they will fast track approval for the construction of buildings that are environmentally friendly and carbon efficient.
He called on Ecobank and other companies to take portions of the project to help make Accra green.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie said they called for applications for 15,000 youth to be employed for a national afforestation project but have received over 40,000 applicantions.
He said his outfit will look for funds from government inorder to take on all the applicants for the project.
He warned that anyone who cuts down one tree, even in his own house, without the permission of the commission will be prosecuted.
Ecobank CEO, Dan Sackey also added that this year they will be planting over 300 trees in three schools in Accra, Tamale and Kumasi.
He said Ecobank’s state-of-the-art head office building is carbon efficient, adding that they have adopted the stretch from Ridge roundabout to National Theatre for greening with grass and flower.
The occasion was used to educate students of St. Thomas Aquinas SHS about the need for efficient waste management.
Partners of the event, Zoomlion Foundation presented several jumbo size litter bins to the school.