Dafinone calls on Nigerians to respect nature by preserving trees, forests

Managing Director, Sapele Integrated Industries Ltd (SIIL), Chief Ede Dafinone, has called on Nigerians to show respect to nature by preserving trees and forests and thereby salvage generations yet unborn.

Dafinone made the plea recently at a tree-planting ceremony to mark one-year immemorial of their late father, Senator David Dafinone, in Sapele, Delta State.

The Dafinonesfound their way into the Guinness Book of Records is the nuclear family of seven with the highest number of chartered accountants who are members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Dafinone, who is also a board member of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), said that the world was at risk of imminent submerge if urgent steps were not taken to preserve the forest, species of animals and trees.

He said there was need to preserve the forests in the interest of the younger and yet unborn generations, adding that was the core mandate of the NCF in Nigeria.

“What we do there is to try and preserve the trees, the forest, the animals within Nigeria so that they will be around for the next generation.

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“We need to show respect for nature and protection of the environment for the children and great-grandchildren.

“Thirty years ago, the forest of Nigeria covered about 30 per cent of the land, but now forests in Nigeria cover about four per cent and our mission is to take it back to that 30 per cent.

“About four weeks ago, there was fire outbreak in the Amazon forest in South America.

“It caused sea level to rise around the world by half an inch. If it continues, some islands around the world will soon be underwater.

“Even Lagos, if the sea level rises by two or three inches, some parts of Lagos will also be underwater.

“So, there is a threat to the whole world that if we do not preserve our forests, animals and trees, the lower lands will eventually be submerged,” he warned.

Dafinone, who coordinated the planting of an Iroko tree by his mother, Chief Cynthia and brother, Duvie in honour of late Senator Dafinone, therefore, called for the planting of trees to protect the world against the dangers of global warming, adding that the Iroko would serve as an everlasting remembrance for the business mogul.

“One of the things we are doing today is to plant trees to send signals to the rest Nigerians that we need to preserve our forests.

“If all of us die, this Iroko tree we are planting will still be here in the next 200 years to remember our daddy,” he enthused.

Late Dafinone, born March 12, 1927, was a renown business mogul and former Senator representing the defunct Bendel South Senatorial District between 1979 and 1983.

The patriarch of the Dafinone dynasty, who was the Ohwere 1 of Okpe Kingdom, died on September 30, 2018 at the age of 91.