Group petitions AG over looting of Park and Gardens lands- Ghana

BY YESMAN ANTOH-

The cleared portion of Parks and Gardens lands
( NEW AFRICA BUSINESS NEWS )

NEW AFRICA BUSINESS NEWS, Accra, Ghana-  A GROUP calling itself Concerned Environmentally-Conscious Ghanaians And Pan-Africanists has raised awareness on the destruction of the environment describing it as ‘environmental vandalism’ taking place in Ghana.

Base on this, the group has written a letter to the Attorney-General (AG) of Ghana to immediately implement policies to safeguard the environment.

“At a time when the focus is on Ghana for losing its rainforest faster than any other country in the world, the onus lies on the individual Ghanaian to preserve the remaining one,” the group stated

The Secretary of London-based Pan-African Civil Society Organization Africans For and the Accra-based East La Environmental Group, Awula Serwah is spearheading a campaign to raise awareness to save the environment.

The letter ‘An Africans For letter,’ co-signed by several concerned Ghanaian citizens and Pan-Africanists at home and abroad, including a former principal state attorney, an honorary consul general, traditional pressure group, and environmental and gardening advocates, has been delivered to the Attorney-General.

The letter raises concerns over several trees being felled at Parks and Gardens head office at Cantonments, to make room for the building of a multi-purpose office complex.

As the matter has been referred to the Attorney-General, the letter asks the AG to use her good offices to stop the land grab, save Parks & Gardens land in particular, and open spaces in general.

“It states that “Environmental vandalism and the speed at which Ghana is becoming a concrete jungle is of concern,” she stated.

Awula Serwah said the group took this decision after Parks & Gardens workers protested, after discovering a large part of its land cleared of its trees, that the matter was referred to the AG.

The letter, which has since received additional co-signatories including the Most Reverend Charles Palmer-Buckle, Archbishop of Cape Coast, points to the reason Parks & Gardens was created.

“It was set up in 1961 for the development of the nation’s landscape and the preservation and beautification of the environment. Its functions include acquiring lands to establish public parks and promote ecotourism to generate revenue for Assemblies and jobs for the youth, and pursuing actions to combat the effects of global warming by promoting a national tree planting campaign involving all stakeholders.”

“It is astonishing that although Parks & Gardens’ functions include ‘pursuing actions to combat the effects of global warming by promoting a national tree planting campaign involving all stakeholders’, our information is that over 140 trees were cut on Parks & Gardens land to make room for an office complex.”

Awula Serwah said there can be no justification for hiving off Parks & Gardens lands to add more concrete structures instead, the Ministry of Local Government ought to be looking to resource its department to make it a botanical garden that can attract people in a city, that hardly has any parks, for studying and appreciating nature.

BY YESMAN ANTOH, NEW AFRICA BUSINESS NEWS, BUSINESS & POLITICAL, GLOBAL CORRESPONDENT

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