Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, Finance Minister, has called for the support of Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, the King of Akyem Abuakwa, Eastern Region, for continued effort in ensuring environmental sustainability in Ghana.
The Minister made this call when he visited the Okyehene on Wednesday evening for his blessings and counsel for the new role he assumed about a week ago, following President Akufo-Addo’s ministerial reshuffle.
“You [Amoatia Ofori Panin] have done so much for this country since your ascension to the throne, especially, your leadership in the fight against illegal mining and have become a champion of environmental sustainability, not just in Ghana but across the world,” he said.
“Through this, you’ve provided advocacy for the development of education along the lines of environmental sustainability,” Dr Amin Adam said.
He said he found it necessary to seek for the Okyehene’s support in the country’s quest for environmental sustainability due to his personal advocacy in that regard.
Among others, the country has instituted the Green Ghana campaign to restore lost forest cover in addition to having Task Forces to halt the degradation of lands and water bodies through illegal mining (galamsey) and other human activities.
Those efforts were to culminate into ensuring environmental sustainability and a friendly climate ecosystem for human and animal habitation.
To entrench the path for continued success, the Minister announced the resumption of disbursement of funding for the establishment of the University for Environment and Sustainable by the Exim Korea Bank.
That, he said, would be pivotal in ensuring a quick progress of the project to enable Ghanaians to study environmental sciences and sustainable development for human existence.
Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, who welcomed the Finance Minister and his entourage from Accra, heightened the essence of education in the pursuit of environmental sustainability and national development.
He, therefore, asked the minister to ensure continued support for the implementation of the government’s Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme.
“Learning will provide an escape from poverty, and all that is put together, we begin to train our young people, allow them to acquire skills and upgrade themselves, and in doing so, change the material standard of living of themselves and their parents,” he said.
“Our country will not go anywhere and will not be a great nation unless we make sure that every child [born in Ghana] will have a desk to write on, a good teacher to learn from,” he noted.
The Okyehene expressed confidence on the path the country had taken to educate its citizens, saying, “I believe that we’re going places with this arrangement [Free SHS programme], and we’re not about to collapse what all of you started.”
GNA