Mr Felix Mensah Nii Anang-La, Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive together with other officials planted some millettia trees at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park at Tema to officially kick start the project.
The Green Ghana Project is an initiative by the government for Ghanaians to plant at least five million trees across the country to replace depleting plants stock.
Mr Anang-La said TMA had planned to plant at least 5,000 of the plants which included; acacia, mahogany, date palm, and arch apple, by the end of the year indicating that the Assembly started planting the trees a week ahead of the actual day and had been able to plant almost 3,000.
He said there was the need to replace overaged trees in the industrial cum harbour city as some of their roots were blocking sewer lines and disturbing underground electrical cables and other service lines.
He added that it had come to the notice of the Assembly that most of the cases recorded at the Tema General Hospital was respiratory related an indication that the air in the metropolis may not be too pure due to industrial activities.
The TMA MCE urged all residents, assembly members, industries, schools and religious organizations to get free seedlings from the Horticulture Department to plant and nurture for all to derive the benefit of it.
The MCE gave the assurance that to ensure the sustenance of the plants the Horticulture Department would care and water the ones planted at the public parks, roundabouts, road side among others.
Meanwhile Mr Anang-La also used the occasion to highlight on the 2021 World Environment Day, which is on theme: “Ecosystem Restoration” which was in line with the TMA’s restoration agenda therefore the need for residents to participate and plant more trees to restore Tema to its former glory.
