By Goodluck Ikiebe.
Edo State has rolled out the drums to mark its 30th anniversary as a state with Governor Godwin Obaseki slated to commence a tree-planting campaign in line with the government’s reforestation initiative of planting 10 million trees in the next ten years.
The Chief of Staff to the Edo State Governor, Hon. Osaigbovo Iyoha, in a statement, noted that the tree planting programme would ensure sustainable regeneration of Edo forest reserves for future generations.
According to him, “Edo will on Friday, August 27, 2021, record another milestone in its history, celebrating 30 years of togetherness, innovation, progress and development, as a people and state. We are inspired by our illustrious history and building a formidable future.
“To mark the auspicious occasion, the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, will be planting a tree as part of the government’s reforestation project, targeted at planting ten million trees within the next decade.”
Iyoha continued: “The celebration is not just an opportunity to assess how far we have come together as a people, but another chance to look into the future and make deliberate and concerted plans to position our state for sustainable economic development and prosperity, as well as balance environmental sustainability with improved livelihoods for our people”.
According to him, “This is imperative because, as a people with a rich culture and heritage, we are aware that environmental sustainability is key to our cultural and economic preservation, and except conscious steps are taken to replenish our fast-depleting forest covers and return to the old culture of forest reserves, we could be setting the stage for dire consequences on our rich flora and fauna.”
“As I invite all Edo people to join in celebrating this 30-year milestone, I urge everyone to be a part of this project to replenish our trees, which are our heritage, to tackle climate change and preserve our beautiful state for future generations,” he noted.
