The University for Development Studies (UDS) on Friday, June 10, 2022 marked the green Ghana day by planting trees across its campuses. This was in response to the call by the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo for all Ghanaians to contribute to planting twenty Million (20,000,000) trees across the country as part of the afforestation and reforestation program dubbed, the green Ghana day.

The green Ghana initiative seeks to enhance the national awareness on the necessity for collective action towards the restoration of the degraded landscape in the country, inculcate in the youth the value of planting and nurturing trees and the associated benefits, mitigate watershed and enhance livelihood towards communities, through engagements in the production of tree seedlings and ultimately beautify our communities and environment.
 
The principal of the Nyankpala Campus, Prof. George Nyarko, who represented the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Gabriel Ayum Teye, in planting the first tree on the Nyankpala Campus, said lectures were suspended for the day to ensure that the University community fully participated in the tree planting exercise. He indicated that, UDS is supposed to be the green University in Ghana, and that trees are very essential in the survival of man. He added that an amount of Twenty-Eight Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHC 28,000.00) was released for the project, to raise seedlings and to acquire a Tricycle (Motor King) which was fitted with a 1000 liters’ capacity water tank to water the trees for sustenance and healthy growth.

The staff and students of the Nyankpala campus came out in their numbers to partake in the exercise. The Dean of the School of Applied Economics and Management Sciences, Professor, Samuel A. Donkoh, reminded Ghanaians of the cliché “when the last tree dies the last man dies”, and said his participation was to ensure that the generations yet to come will enjoy the benefits of the trees being planted in decades to come.

The chairman of the Campus Beautification Committee of the Nyankpala Campus, who is also the Hall Tutor of the Campus, Prof. Raphael Edu Gyamfi, said the Campus has raised many Seedlings and has donated 200 of that to some basic schools in the communities around the University.

The Chairman, Professor Edu Gyamfi added that, the University decided to select three species of trees; Teak, Acasia, and Mahogany because of their medicinal benefits and shade they provide to mankind. He reiterated that, to sustain the trees, wire fences were also provided to protect them from people and animals. He added that, they will ensure that the trees are watered daily to ensure they grow well. Professor Raphael also promised that technical advice will be given to the community schools on how to plant and nature the trees.

Dr. Rikiatu Husseini, Head of Department for Forestry and Forest Resources Management, who is also a member of the Campus Beautification Committee, indicated that, tree planting is an annual event for the committee. She added that, this year’s tree planting event coincided with the National Day of Tree planting and so they decided to mark the day by participating in the programme.
 
Also at the tree planting exercise were Prof. Samuel J. Cobbina, the Dean of Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Prof. Gustav Mahunu, Head of Department for Food Science Technology, Dr. James Fearon, Snr. Hall Tutor, Prof. Fredirick Adzitey, Head of Department for Animal Science, Mr. Faalong Alexander, Agricultural Technician, Mr. Sampson Nyamalor, representative of WPD, and Mr. Enoch N. Bonso, Head of Security of Nyankpala Campus. Some members of the faculty of Natural Resource and Environment who were at the event are; Mr. William Asente, Mr. Prince Cobbinanah and Mrs. Esther Amoako. There were also some students and student clubs including, International Association of students in Agriculture and Related Sciences (IAAS), Agribusiness Students Association of Ghana (ABSAG), Family and consumer Science student’s association, and SRC. 

Story By:
Isaac E. Dramani