Takoradi Technical University in partnership with Goshen Global Vision, a environmentally oriented NGO has today planted 1,070 trees around the Akatakyi satellite campus of the University. The Dean of Students of TTU, Dr. Bruce Amartey who led the tree planting exercise to commemorate the national Green Ghana Day said the planted trees will provide the needed environmental cover and protection for the new campus with vast spaces of plot of land.
“We plant this in the name of God the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. We will come back to nature it to grow and ensure that it becomes, not only a source of making our lives better, but as a monument to commemorate this day. We have a lot of fallow lands here at Akatakyi and we have to be strategic as an institution. A lot of storms circulate around this area, so if we have trees that can serve as shades to protect the facility here, it is much better. Unlike the main campus where almost every part of the place is almost occupied, here we have a lot of fallow lands and the storm will have a filled day in pulling down our structures”, he said.
The Dean of students also just the essence of the tree planting due to the compelling concerns of global warming.
“It is something that is really good because, again, global warming is gradually depleting the earth of its natural nature, so we have to plant a lot of trees as an institution or as a country. To do this, I mean we protect our land, we will not lose our natural species, both on the earth and in our oceans. Again we would be able to reduce drought…I’m to man this particular project. So I as Dean of Students, the Pro Vice Chancellor asked me to be here and it tells you the level of interest the management has in this particular project. Looking at the critical staff of the University who are here because of this project, tells me that, the management will go all out to ensure that, these plants are protected and nurtured to ensure that they see the light of day”, he added.
Mary Perpetual Kwakuyi of Goshen Global Vision given the rationale for the partnership with TTU on the tree planting exercise said it is to help advance its environmental protection agenda.
“Last year, we planted with Takoradi Technical University in front of the road medians of the university. This year, we decided to come here, Akatakyi. If you look at the left side, you will see that, the place is so bare, the trees have been cut off. So we decided to come here to partner with you today and plant these trees.
One reason is to provide a wind break for your beautiful building here. If we don’t plant the trees, in about two to three years you will realize that when it rains the storm is going to bring this building down as you see it like this.
Secondly, we are going to restore the habitat of the biodiversity. Thus you will realize that we can’t see any bird here, we can’t see any butterfly, and we can’t see any animal crawling here. Because the trees are cut off. So as we restore the trees within two to three years, you will realise that, the biodiversity is coming back because they exist in order to help us humans also to exist.
Thirdly, when these trees come up the students are going to stay under them as a shade to read and to learn. It’s also going to promote teaching and learning in Takoreadi Technical University. So this is the reason we are partnering with you to make Takoradi Technical University an environmentally friendly university that all will love to come and see”, she said.
Mary Perpetual Kwakuyi of Goshen Global Vision further gave a breakdown and benefits of the species of trees planted.
“Today we are planting 1,070 trees made up of twenty different species, and then fruit trees as well. We are also looking at food security so the students around when they are hungry, they can plug some for lunch or for snack. These include mangoes, oranges, guava, coconuts and other fruits trees”, she added.
Goshen Global Vision is an environmental NGO that operates in the Western Region of Ghana. It came to being in September, 2019. It has launched a project with the assemblies which is looking at how to reverse climate change negative impact on Western Region.
