Foundation flags off 5,000 tree planting initiative in Ekiti

The Triple Green Environmental Development Foundation (TGED foundation) has flagged off the planting of 5,000 trees initiative in Ekiti State as part of measures to safeguard and protect the ecosystem.

The team lead and founder of TGED foundation, Oluwaseyi Ebenezer, while speaking at an event marking the official planting of the trees and handing over to traditional rulers in the area at the palace of Onisan of Isan-Ekiti, Oba Ayodele Adejuwon, in Isan-Ekiti, Oye local government area of the state, explained that the initiative was aimed at educating the people, especially at the grassroots on the need to embrace tree planting in the society.

She lamented the negative impact of the increasing deforestation across the state on the ecosystem owing to ignorance among the people, adding that the donation of the indigenous trees of Gmelina and Afara to the traditional rulers in the communities would help drive the advocacy at the grassroots level.

Ebenezer said: “The Ekiti 5,000 tree planting initiative is created to help in promoting afforestation and creating awareness across the whole state on the importance of tree planting and the negative effect of climate change by donating indigenous trees to some selected towns in state through traditional rulers and stakeholders.

“Trees are crucial and very fundamental to maintenance of life on Earth and provide protection, security and shades to human beings. Therefore, forests act as a giant filter and to clean the air we breathe and it is extremely important that our forest must be preserved and well managed.

ALSO READ FROM  NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

• ASUU Extends Strike By 4 Weeks
• Forex Crisis: Fresh Facts Reveal NNPC’s $2.7bn Remittance To Its CBN Accounts In 6 Months

“We are, therefore, using the Ekiti 5,000 tree planting initiative to encourage communities and towns across Ekiti state to imbibe the habit of tree planting and discourage the illegal falling of trees. Also, there is a huge need for communities to actively participate in forest ownership, management and protection, our forest should be seen as our shared value and heritage and thus more attention needs to be paid to it.”

She commended the Onisan of Isan-Ekiti ruler for his warm reception and support to the flagging of the tree planting, urging him to use his position as the chairman of state council of traditional rulers to rally his colleagues in encouraging their subjects, “to practice afforestation as this will reduce flooding and windstorm in the state.”

In his remarks, Oba Adejuwon who commended the foundation for promoting the idea of tree planting in the state noted that this action remained the best and most effective way to protect the environment against climate change.

He assured the group that he would take up the challenge by encouraging his colleagues in the traditional rulers’ council on the need to educate the people the importance of practising afforestation.

Representing the chairman of the State Forestry Commission, the forest Officer for Oye LGA, Sunday Ogunremi while commending the foundation for the initiative, explained that trees globally have been identified as the provider of the oxygen will breathe in.

Ogunremi reiterated the government’s commitment to continue partnership with relevant groups and individuals in a bid to discourage deforestation so as to mitigate the effect of climate change in the state.

In their separate remarks, the Owajumu of Omu-Ekiti, Oba Ogundeyi Adeyeye; Alafon of Ilafon-Ekiti, Oba Akin Owoeye; Owatapa of Itapa-Ekiti, Oba David Ajayi; Obaloje of Oloje-Ekiti, Oba Peter Afolabi and the Olosin Osin-Ekiti, Oba Philip Oyediran hailed TGED foundation for starting the initiative in their domains and promised to support the planting of trees towards avoiding further depletion of the ozone layer.