The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has described as worrying the destruction of trees planted along Lake Bosomtwe.

He directed that the perpetrator(s) should not be made to only replace the trees but cautioned to deter others from doing same.

His outburst follows an exposé in March 2021 by TV3‘s Ibrahim Abubakar that brought to the fore how a private developer destroyed over 500 trees planted to protect the lake at Pipie.

“Recently I had a report that someone had gone to cut down the trees along the lake with the support of a sub-chief. This is a news I got with trepidation. For the perpetrator not realizing that these trees were planted for a purpose was very worrying. Even though the Assembly and other stakeholders have resolved that he replants the trees, it should come with a caution to deter others,” Otumfuo demanded.

The Asantehene expressed his dismay when the US Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie Sullivan, paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace to celebrate World Earth Day.

As part of his commitment to further protect the lake from shrinking, the Asantehene directed that Manhyia Palace supervises the planting of 2,000 more trees in one of the communities around Lake Bosomtwe, Ankaase, to celebrate World Earth Day.

The trees form part of the targeted 3 million trees to be planted by the Asante Kingdom Landscape Restoration Programme along the lake by 2029.

The US Ambassador to Ghana who participated in the tree planting exercise stressed the need to join hands to protect the environment and fight climate change.

She commended the Asantehene for his resolve to protect the lake and other water bodies.