The Management, staff, and students of the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED) planted about 2,000 tree seedlings on its campuses as AAMUSTED participated fully in the Green Ghana Project (GGP) of June 11, 2021. 

A thousand seedlings apiece were planted in and around the main campus in Kumasi and the Asante Mampong campus of AAMUSTED.

The GGP, an initiative of the President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, sought to plant some 5 million trees nationwide to increase the country’s forest cover and inculcate the culture of tree planting and maintenance in Ghanaians.

Available statistics at the Ghana Forestry Commission (GFC) indicate an alarming depletion of the forest cover of Ghana from 8.2 million hectares about a century ago to about 1.6 million now. Some 65,000 hectares of forest cover are lost annually.

Representing the Vice-Chancellor of AAMUSTED, Prof. Frederick K. Sarfo, the Vice-Dean of Student Affairs of the University, Dr. Philip Oti-Agyen, planted a Royal Palm seedling to set the tone for the nearly two-hour tree planting exercise in AAMUSTED.

He took advantage of the brief official opening of the exercise to encourage members of the University community to be steadfast in planting trees in and around the University.

He also emphasised the importance of trees to the life of humans and reminded the gathering of the cliché – “When the last tree dies, the last man on earth also dies.”  In that regard, he pledged the commitment of the AAMUSTED Management to nurture the planted seedlings into full-blown trees to help the University.

Present to support Dr. Oti-Agyin were the Deputy Registrar, University Relations, Mr. Michael Kofi Twum-Ampomah; the President of the Students’ Representative Council, Mr. Richard Opoku and his executives, staff, and students.

Mr. Richard Opoku thanked the Management of AAMUSTED for leading the tree planting exercise when addressing the gathering. He said their action was a worthy example that members of the University would follow.

He assured the AAMUSTED Management that he would encourage the students to protect the planted seedlings and help to ensure their growth, and explore every opportunity to find more tree seedlings to grow on the campus.

Also joining in the tree planting exercise at AAMUSTED were staff of the Forestry Commission led by Mr. Kwabena Wereko.