Ho, Feb 16, GNA - Mr Oliver Biga, the Ho Municipal Director of the Department Urban Roads, on Tuesday said cutting some decorative trees along the "Starlets 91" Street in Ho was within the confines of the contract to expand the road. He said though it was unclear whether the organization that supervised the planting of the trees followed due procedures to properly cite the trees, the Department was not averse to facilitating the replanting and alignment of the trees on completion of the road. Mr Biga was speaking to the Ghana News Agency on concerns over alleged haphazard felling of the decorative trees planted under a HIPC fund beatification project for Ho in 2003.

He said the street, which leads to the stadium, was being widened for a 2.5 meter walkway on one side and a drain on the other side. Mr Biga said some trees in the way of the road design would be felled and others incorporated into designs for the walkway. He said in the case of the Starlet 91 Street, a walkway was needed for scores of people going to and from the stadium. Mr Eric Akyea, Overseer of the tree planting programme, said there were consultations among all stakeholders before the trees were planted and that felling them was uncalled for.

He said he was still maintaining 50 workers whose job it is to maintain the trees, prune them so that their branches do not entangle electricity lines. Madam Comfort Tedeku, Ho Municipal Head of the Department of Parks and Gardens, said monitoring of planting and growth of the trees had not been the best, creating problems for road developments and for the utility companies. She said canopies of the trees were allowed to grow to entangle electricity power lines.