Upper West Regional Minister, Dr Hafiz Bin Salih has stated that the Green Ghana project is not about planting trees but nurturing them to survive.

Dr Bin Salih said the country, for the past 31 years, has seen loss of its forest cover from eight million eight hundred hectares to 1.5 million hectares.

He made the statement at the start of the Green Ghana project in the Wa town plantation.

‘‘Anybody who thinks that the green Ghana project will be a nine- day wonder please erase that from your mind. The issue is not only about planting trees but nurturing it to survive. I am going to take note of where I am planting this tree and occasional, I will come to see whether it surviving or not. Remember we are told when the last trees die, the last man will die,’’ he noted.

Dr. Bin Salih said over 5 million trees will be planted in the whole country and out of that number 150,000 trees will be planted in all 11 municipal and districts in the Upper West Region.

‘‘If care is not taken the entire forest cover of this region will be depleted. As humans we need to put in more effort especially those of us from the five of regions of the north, we are threatened by desertification, we need to constantly plant trees to regain our past status,’’ he added.

Organisers defied rains to make the programme a success.

Over 65 institutions in the region have been brought on board to ensure that the project is successfully implemented.

Upper West Regional Forestry Manager, Stephen Asamoah Dua stated that they are much aware of the ritual burning of the Wa town plantation by unscrupulous persons.

He said they have already embarked on educating and sensitizing the public on the need to desist from burning the facility where the exercise took place.