Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Company Limited has joined the clarion call of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to plant trees, care for them and preserve the ecosystem.

With the help of the Forestry Commission, Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Company Limited planted 100 trees from three species at its APD Depot in Tema on Friday, June 9, 2023, to mark “Green Ghana Day”.

Speaking about the purpose of joining the planting exercise, the Manager for Corporate Social Responsibility, Government Relations and Protocol Mr Yaw Antwi Dadzie said the decision to plant trees at the company’s depots where oil is stored was to reduce the carbon footprints that emanates as a result of their activities.

“You know BOST trade in oil and this business generates hydro-carbons and one of the ways we can reduce the carbon footprints is to plant seedlings. We partnered with the Forestry Commission for 100 seedlings to start the tree planting and mark the commemorative day", he noted.

He indicated that the tree-planting exercise would be extended to all six (6) depots of the company across the country as the depots need windbreaks to withstand the winds.

He further stated that the tree-planting exercise would not only take place at the demarcated pipelines but every employee of BOST would be encouraged to plant trees in their homes.

He assured that the depots’ managements have been tasked with the responsibility to ensure that the trees they have planted are watered and protected from ruminants destroying them.

Explaining the reasons behind the selected tree species, the Forest Range Manager, Tema District Office, Ms Ricarda Ackom-Boadu said that BOST requested shady trees, forming the choice of species the Commission selected for the company.

Ms Ackom-Boadu added the kind of trees that were planted depends on the activities and the location of the company, reiterating that BOST did not need trees that shed off plenty of leaves which could worsen a fire outbreak situation at the depot.

“BOST also requested evergreen trees to remain green throughout the seasons of the year. We gave them trees that would not shed too many leaves and also evergreen because they deal with fuel. We gave them three species like militia, politia and visual palm seedlings to plant”, she said.

She, however, encouraged individuals and companies that want to engage in the tree-planting exercise in their communities to reach out to the Forest Services Division Offices across the nation to be advised on the kind of seedlings that would benefit them depending on their locations, activities in the communities and the soil type of the communities.

“Wherever you are, the district officer can help you. Visit any nearest office and they would easily and freely give you any information. In caring for the trees, you have to water them, you make sure that there are no unwanted weeds around that would compete for water and nutrient and sunlight as well. The watering should be done very early in the morning and in the evening”, she advised.

The Green Ghana Day was launched by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2021 under the auspices of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, as part of an aggressive afforestation and reforestation agenda of the government. 

The initiative is intended to restore the lost forest cover of the country devastated by illegal small-scale mining and timber logging. 

The maiden edition targeted to plant five million trees, but ended up planting over seven million seedlings. 

In 2022, more than 26 million trees were planted, exceeding the 20 million target. 

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II officially launched this year's edition of the Green Ghana Day on Wednesday, May 17 at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, urging all well-meaning Ghanaians to support the tree planting exercise. 

The revered King said the Day presented an opportunity for Ghanaians to show patriotism and commitment towards protecting the country's forest cover and leave the younger generation much richer and greener in Ghana. 

 “Government cannot do it alone. We must all get involved and support the Government to come to grips with these matters,” Otumfuo Osei Tutu said. 

The Asantehene pledged to lead his chiefs and people to plant 2.5 million trees to protect the enclave of Lake Bosomtwe in the Bosomtwe District of the Region. 

The Government since 2017 has been taking several measures to restore the country's lost forest cover, hence the Green Ghana Project is a necessary intervention to create national awareness of the necessity for collective action towards the restoration of the degraded landscapes. 

The programme also aims at inculcating values of planting and nurturing trees in the citizens, particularly among the younger generation, to mitigate the negative effects of climate change as well as beautify the environment. 

Averagely, more than 81 per cent of the seedlings planted in 2021 survived while 72 per cent survived in 2022.