Kade, Nov. 10, GNA - Three hundred youth in the Kwaebibirem District= would gain employment when the National Afforestation Project takes off i= n the area. Announcing this at a meeting of the assembly at Kade, Mr George Agyemang Duah, the District Chief Executive, noted that Kwaebibirem had virtually lost all of its forests and called on members of the assembly t= o embrace the programme when it is launched to help make it a success. Kwaebibirem in Akan means tropical rain forest and as the name depic= ts, the district used to have a great deal of virgin forests.

But as a result of timber harvesting; -mainly by illegal chainsaw operators- bad farming practices; diamond mining; and recently gold minin= g, the district has lost virtually all its forests.

Mr Duah said the afforestation project would cover a period of five years and would offer full time employment for thousands of people nation=

wide. "The project has come at a right time to reduce the high number of unemployed youth," the DCE said. Mr Duah told members that they would all be involved in the selectio= n of those to be employed. The Member of Parliament (MP) for Akwatia, Dr Kofi Asare, cautioned that in choosing the employees for the project, care should be taken to avoid partisan considerations.

He jobless Ghanaians, irrespective of party affiliations, needed employment so it would be wrong and unjustifiable if those to be employed=

were chosen along political party lines.