The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has cut short today's parliamentary proceedings and charged all parliamentarians to return to their constituencies to lead and partake in the Green Ghana Day exercise.

The Green Ghana initiative takes off on June 11.

According to him, this is necessary because planting a tree at a time is one of the important ways the country can start rectifying damages caused by the actions and inactions of humankind.

Speaking on the Floor of the House, Mr Bagbin directed the Clerk to provide the cost of travel in and out that would be incurred by the MPs as they head to their constituencies.

President Akufo-Addo has called on Ghanaians to plant more trees to preserve the country’s forest cover and the environment.

He said, “We cannot sit by and watch as our trees, flora and fauna are wiped out. Our very existence is tied directly to the survival of trees. Without the oxygen produced by trees, we cannot survive as humans.

“Lend your support to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources as it executes this ambitious national assignment. I will be planting a tree, and I expect you too to plant one. Let us make Ghana green.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, has stated that planting five million trees is a big investment in the country’s forestry sector.

“As part of the programme, we are seeking to work out a formula where the trees to be planted will be economic trees. We are talking about the Timber, Wawa, Nim, Rosewood, Shea trees. The rationale for this intervention is so that in planting the trees, we are also making an investment for the future.

“For instance, the time it takes for timber to mature is a long time. Now we do not have enough economic trees which can contribute to the national developmental agenda. So part of it also is to ensure that we have economic trees,” he said.

According to him, as it stands now, the country lacks economic trees that can aid the country's sustainable development, hence the need for all and sundry to participate in the agenda.

Mr Bagbin has, however, pledged his commitment to lead the team in Parliament 'to green the enclave of Parliament' in the absence of the legislatures.

“I want to on behalf of Parliament and my pledge of collective support for the Green Ghana Day since my constituency is the whole of Ghana, I will lead the exercise to green the enclave of Parliament, honourable members, Green Ghana, let’s go planting," he said.