Plant more trees and get a car – Mahama to Upper East chiefs

President John Dramani Mahama has revealed that government will introduce a program to give cars to traditional rulers in the Upper East Region who will grow more trees.

“I will personally donate a car to the chief whose traditional area is able to grow the most trees and I will let the regional minister James Zuugah Tiigah start designing a programme so that when we start, it will be a competition to see who can grow the most trees and I will personally donate a car to any of the paramount or divisional chiefs who will win this trophy,” president Mahama stated.

The President made this known during his #ChangingLives tour in Bolgatanga. He said the Youth Employment Agency bill that has been passed by Parliament will recruit over 1000 young people who will be provided with requisite skills for employment and creation of jobs.

Mr. Mahama reiterated that more of beneficiaries particularly in the Upper East Region will be pushed into afforestation program due to the dire impact of climate change in the region. “But one of the priorities that I have asked the youth employment agency to look at is afforestation programme because of the climate change and low vegetation cover I believe that a lot of the youth should be put in the area of tree growing to improve the vegetation cover and compact climate change,” Mahama stressed.

The president said the youth employment agency will work together with chiefs to grow more trees adding that “this will ensure that their traditional areas become better vegetated and I think we should introduce a prize for a traditional area that is able to grow the most trees.”