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Use of artificial over natural plants …experts express worry
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Artificial grass
There is a new phenomenon of artificial plants and trees briskly taking over restaurants and bars.
In an interaction to know the motivation for this trend, two reasons run through most of the conversations which was “easy to maintain and the little or no stress in keeping them.”
The natural plants must be watered sometimes twice a day, pruned from time to time and have fertilizers applied to them occasionally just to mention a few.
A Restaurant Operator who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Spectator on Monday said the use of natural plants was a drain on their finances.
“We pay a gardener and spend so much on watering them, especially, the grass. We hire experts to advise us and several others but with the artificial plants, we do not give them much attention except that we dust them and when very necessary, we re-spray to maintain their colour and appeal,” she disclosed.
She said in place of grass, they had also resorted to the use of carpets which were very economical.
A Florist at the Adjei-Kojo Underbridge area, Yaw Kissi said as a person with a lot of passion for natural plants, the development breaks his heart.
“Aside taking our jobs from us because they don’t buy our products anymore, they are not helping our society to combat climate change. Fake plants also attract a lot of dust as compared to natural plants and trees so it is not good for us,” he said.
He said there was the need for an all-hands-on deck approach to address the development urgently to take steps to change the situation “before it got out of hand because we need oxygen.”
Meanwhile, a Research Scientist with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Dr. Gordon Akon-Yamga has expressed concern about the development.
He said it was a clear indication that much was not known about the benefits of natural plants on the health of people.
He said it was worrying that in an environment which supports the growth of natural plants even if they were placed indoors, the replacement of natural plants with artificial ones leaves much to be desired.
He said aside providing colour to the facility, there was nothing more to it and so it should be discouraged and persons in the hospitality industry educated to use natural plants.
Dr. Akon-Yamga admitted that as compared to natural plants, artificial plants needed little or even no attention and hardly needed a replacement but natural plants have enormous health benefits.
He said in terms of carbon sequestration, the trees take up the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and make it safe for humans.
He said natural plants purified the air around us as they absorbed a lot of pollutants and also reduces dust into such premises.
He called on regulatory bodies of the hospitality industries to educate the operators to replace the artificial plants with natural ones.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Tema
Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has announced that the government has accepted the recommendation to abolish the death penalty and replace it with life imprisonment as part of the constitutional review process.
He said the proposed amendment would affect Articles 3, 13, 19 and 72 of the 1992 Constitution, with offences that previously attracted the death penalty instead carrying life imprisonment.
Dr. Ayine made the announcement on July 30, 2026, at the Jubilee House in Accra during the Government Accountability Series while outlining the government’s position on the final recommendations of the Constitution Review Committee.
According to him, the government believes the death penalty is inconsistent with the constitutional right to life and Ghana’s international human rights obligations.
He explained that the recommendation forms part of broader proposals aimed at strengthening the protection of fundamental human rights under the Constitution.
Dr. Ayine said the government had also accepted the spirit of several recommendations to expand rights relating to women, children, persons with disabilities, older persons and the youth.
He added that a comprehensive Human Rights Act would be introduced to protect these rights and provide detailed enforcement mechanisms instead of amending the entrenched provisions of the Constitution through a national referendum.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called on both local and international investors to tap into opportunities in Ghana’s tourism, hospitality and creative industries.
Speaking in an interview yesterday with World Media USA Today, the Minister said government is committed to creating a conducive investment environment to support growth in the sector.
She highlighted key investment areas including hotels, fashion, music, film production, and tourism infrastructure.
Dzifa Gomashie also encouraged Ghanaians to invest in domestic tourism to help boost the local economy.
According to her, strategic investment in tourism and the creative economy will drive economic transformation, create jobs, and position Ghana as Africa’s gateway for heritage, culture, business and investment.
“Ghana has vast opportunities across tourism, hospitality and the creative industries. We are ready and open for business,” she stated.
The Minister’s remarks come as government intensifies efforts to leverage culture and tourism as drivers of economic growth and job creation.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
