[ 2017-04-07 ]

Former President Rawlings in a group photograph with members of the Lions Club International

Rawlings lauds media coalition against galamsey
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.

Source - Graphic.com.gh

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