Members of Rastafari Council
The Western Regional Chairman of the Rastafari Council, Mr Kwame Malcolm Mensa has called for the need to ensure that trees planted during the green Ghana initiative are protected from destruction by stray animals.
Speaking at a tree planting exercise at Sekondi, Mr Mensa urged the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly (EKMA) and the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA)to enforce the bylaws on stray animals to protect the trees being planted
Planting the trees as part of the national tree planting exercise which seeks to plant five million trees nationwide, Mr Mensa expressed worry that “if the stray animals were not controlled, the trees we are planting today, all the efforts put in planting the trees will be futile”.
"If you look at the attitude of EKMA and STMA in dealing with stray animals, one cannot be wrong to say that all our sweat will be in futility...look at how EKMA and STMA look on helplessly as stray cows take over our neighbourhoods?
"They are looking on helplessly despite numerous pleas and complaints, now we are here in the rains planting trees and the stray cows will just come and negate all that we have planted”, he lamented.
Mr Mensa who is also the Programmes Manager of Radio 360 and a morning show host mentioned that members of the Ras Tafari faith were natural nature lovers and conservationists.
“As Rastafari, naturally we love nature, the more reason why we have thrown the comb away and wear our hair in locks. Most of us are vegans. We love nature and planting a lot, hence, you see most of us as farmers. We are asking all to respect our biodiversity practises and laws to protect our environment”, he emphasized.
Mr Mensah, therefore, assured that the Council would ensure that the trees planted were nurtured to grow.
Over 20 members of the Ras Tafari Council in the Western Region joined the national tree planting exercise and planted over 20 mahogany seedlings along the cocoa villa road in the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipality.