Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday
cautioned residents of the State to desist from indiscriminate and uncontrolled
felling of trees, just as he harped on the benefits of tree planting to healthy
environment.
Speaking at the 2016 Annual Tree Planting Day organized by
the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK) at Ikosi Senior Secondary
School, Governor Ambode described tree planting as the most reliable and
cheapest means of combating the effect of global warming, flooding and climate
change, adding that such was the more reason why people must protect the trees
and plant more to replace those removed.
The Governor, who was represented at the event tagged: “Lend
a Hand to Save Trees,” by his wife, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode said the importance of
tree planting to the society cannot be overemphasized as trees provide oxygen,
cool the atmosphere, help conserve energy, save water, prevent erosion, save
children from ultra-violet Rays and provide food, among other benefits.
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode said that the annual programme on
tree planting was a veritable platform for Lagos to meet the target of 10
million trees by 2020, noting that the peculiarity of the State as a coastal
city-state makes it prone to several environmental challenges, a situation
which demands that the government and the people must carry out infrastructural
development without jeopardizing the environment.
He said: "The fast growing urban development areas across
the State must curtail the uncontrolled felling of trees and ensure all
developers adhere to all the Town Planning and Greening regulations.
"We must plant trees to replace those removed from vast
acres of land so that we reduce the rate of ocean surge and erosion with its
attendant problem of displacement of homes and communities."
While alluding to the estimate of scientists that the world
needs 30 billion trees annually, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode said a world without
trees is a world without life, and so as a people, Nigerians must resolve to
ensure that trees are not only saved, but efforts must be geared towards
planting more trees.
According to the Governor, “Lagos has become a positive
reference point in Nigeria about creating a Green environment. We remain
committed to this cause and will vigorously pursue the State Greening Policy of
total regeneration of degraded sites as part of our pact with Lagosians. We
will do even more.
"Already, the Security and Light Up Lagos initiatives of our
administration are complementing our beautiful city at night and ensuring the
parks and gardens that are safe for relational purposes."
Besides, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode disclosed that work was
at advanced stage at the parks being constructed by the State Government in
Alimosho and Ikorodu, adding that the projects would soon be completed and
opened for public use, promising that government would enforce tree planting
along all new roads being constructed, maps well as create more gardens and
ensure the upgrade of all open spaces in Lagos.
The Governor, who said government alone cannot achieve the
greening policy, advocated a collective action by all relevant agencies and
organizations to achieve the vision of bequeathing a greener and healthier
environment to generations yet unborn.
He also urged the Federal Government to lead the campaign
for each of the States of the federation to resolve to plant at least one
million trees annually which will translate to 360 million trees across the
country by the next decade, saying that such would go a long way to protect the
nation.
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