Former President J. J. Rawlings yesterday commended the media for establishing a coalition against galamsey to advocate the end of the menace in the country. “l am glad you are doing a good campaign against this galamsey,” he said, and urged the media on to also champion a crusade against indiscipline in the country.
The former President asked the media to speak against the indiscriminate felling of trees, siting of billboards, littering, invasion of pedestrian walkways by traders, open defecation at the beaches and general indiscipline in the country.
Centennial legacy project
Former President Rawlings made the commendation when he laid the foundation stone for the construction of a $400,000 centennial legacy project for the Lions Club International in Accra.
The project, a recreational park to replace part of the parking lot of the offices of the College of Physicians and Surgeons on the Independence Avenue, is expected to be completed within a month ahead of the Lions Club International Day Convention and Congress, scheduled to come off from May 3-7, 2017.
The designs of the park show green grassland, with the trees serving as shades, with a monument of the Lions Club at the epicentre.
The park will serve as a playing ground for children, a resting place and a recreational centre where people can go to relax.
Cutting down of trees
Former President Rawlings decried the rampant cutting down of trees in the city in the name of development.
He lamented that in the name of street lights, trees along major roads, including the Tema Motorway, “have been hacked down, when the two could have coexisted”.
The former President proposed to the Department of Town and Country Planning to consider planting trees along the Tema Motorway, which would form a curtain and a shade for the motoring public.
Walkways
Commenting more on walkways, former President Rawlings wondered why a small percentage of the population should hold the entire population hostage, “and you don’t think there is nothing wrong to criticise people like that?”
He said walkways were meant for pedestrians and should not be hijacked by traders, while the authorities looked on.
Serene environment
He commended the Lions Club International for choosing to construct a recreational ground where people could go and relax and refresh themselves.
The architect of the project, Mr Augustine Richardson, said none of the trees within the park would be cut down and explained that the designs showed that all the trees on sight had been mapped out.
He said where the monument would be built would be the epicentre of the park, while the rest of the area, where children could play, would be greened.
Mr Richardson explained that as a park, the trees were already an asset and would serve as shades where people could relax.
The Past District Governor of the club, Ms Gloria Esi Lassey, explained that the park would be a beautiful place and serene environment for relaxation.
She said the project was in memory of the 100th anniversary of the club and each country was mandated to leave a centennial legacy monument which would be remembered by posterity in the next 100 years.
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