Ajumako Brofoyedur (C/R), June 22, GNA - Interventions by the Government to reduce poverty in the country will not make any impact unless the people themselves make efforts to get out of it, Mr Kenneth Obrempong, Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District Chief Executive (DCE) has said. He deplored the attitude of people who thought it was the responsibility of the government to put money into their pockets. He was speaking at a durbar at Ajumako Brofoyedur to launch an annual Arbor Week instituted by the Cape Coast Archdiocese of the Catholic Church to promote tree planting.

The DCE said the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) had established nursery to produce seedlings for planting. He stressed the importance of trees and commended the Catholic Church for instituting the Week.

Mr Obrempong said the Government had introduced Youth Employment Programme to train young men to become teachers, health aides and other professionals, including agriculture experts.

The Very Reverend Father James Robert Myers, Vicar-General of the Archdiocese, said Adam and Eve were created and put in a "Garden" full of trees, which meant trees were important to God.

The Reverend Father Francis Amonoo, Development Officer, Regional Secretariat of the Church, said the environment was not for the present generation alone and stressed the need to protect it for future generations.

Mr John Boateng Addae, Programme Officer, Environmental Protection Agency in Cape Coast, commended the Church for initiating the exercise and appealed to other religious organisations to emulate it.