Anambra residents have been charged to plant trees
as part of efforts to curb the menacing effects of gully erosion in the state.
They are encouraged to cultivate the idea of one
child one tree planting initiave of the state government as plans to achieve
the one million tree planning programme in the state.
Reacting to the initiative, stakeholders
encouraged the residents to embrace tree planting as programme instituted by
the state government to correcting the menace of floodding and erosion control
in the state.
They made the assertion at the flag of the state
government one million tree planting exercise in Awka, said the project is
aimed controlling flooding, erosion, preservation of greener nature of the
environment for conducive eco-system and as well develop recreational Parks and
Gardens at strategic areas in the state.
Anambra state is reported to have the largest
concentration of land degradation and gully erosion sites in Nigeria.
The state which is regarded as the second state in
Nigeria with smallest land mass after Lagos is bedeviled with large scale
erosion sites across the 21 LGAs of the state.
This could not be unconnected with the move by the
state government to introduce the policy of one-child one-tree planting
initiative to safeguard the existing land space in the state not to be completely
swept off by flood and gully erosion.
Stakeholders have however called on the residents
to encourage the idea of planting a tree in their different places of abode as
well as creating room for the children to plant a tree and been allowed to name
the tree after the child.
In his remark, the executive governor of Anambra
state, Willie Obiano urged families, churches, business organizations, public
and private institutions and schools to encourage tree planting as part of efforts
to have a safe and secure environment for the un-borne generation.
He maintained that the State would stop at nothing
to ensure the initiate is implemented as measures to replicate some of the
Greenery Agro-Projects similar to that of Lagos to checkmate the menace of
erosion and soil degradation, especially in the erosion-prone areas of the
state.
Governor Obiano assures that tree planting
exercise would also enhance the re-forestation programme of the state and
federal governments designed to address the challenges of deforestation and its
attendant consequences on the environment.
High points of the event was the symbolic exercise
of tree planting been carried out by the state governor, Willie Obiano, Speaker
of the state house of assembly been represented by the deputy, Halford Oseke,
APGA state chairman, Nobert Obi and the chairperson Anambra state Post Primary
School, Joy Ulasi.
