By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
KOGI State House of Assembly on Thursday joined the global fight against climate change with a symbolic state-wide tree-planting exercise, aimed at promoting environmental sustainability and addressing issues of deforestation.
Rt Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf, Speaker of the House, who led the Principal officers and other key officials of the House during the exercise, emphasized the importance of protecting the environment to create a safer and healthier environment.
He said that the exercise was nationwide and taking place simultaneously in the various Houses of Assembly across the 36 states of the country, in the bid to mitigate effects of climate change.
“Our objective is to ensure that we have a secure and habitable environment for everyone. Climate change has contributed to erosion and other environmental challenges that threaten our communities.
“Through this symbolic tree-planting campaign, we are encouraging all communities to embrace environmental stewardship”, the Speaker said.
Speaker Aliyu noted that the exercise demonstrated the Assembly’s commitment to leading by example and inspiring residents to take ownership of the land through responsible environmental practices.
“Deforestation and environmental degradation have become serious issues. As leaders, it is our duty to promote tree planting as a means of land reclamation and ecological balance”, he added.
On efforts to curb illegal deforestation, Rt Hon. Yusuf revealed that the state has existing laws to address such violations and urged the Ministry of Agriculture’s forestry department to enforce them rigorously.
“We have laws in place to regulate deforestation. The forestry department is empowered to apprehend and prosecute individuals engaging in tree felling without proper authorization.
“Those engaging in illegal deforestation face arrest and penalties. We are urging the Ministry to step up enforcement to protect our forests”, he said.
The Speaker also lauded the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project for supporting tree-planting activities across the state and empowering farmers with economic tree species.
“In various parts of the state, we’ve seen farms with economic trees being cultivated. This not only supports land reclamation but also enhances food security.
On sustenance of the planted trees, the Speaker said that the Environmental department was responsible for monitoring and nurturing the trees, ensuring they are watered and cared for all-year round, even after rainfall.
Speaker Yusuf noted that the tree planting exercise across the state would aside improving the environment, promote agricultural productivity in the future putting Kogi on the forefront of agricultural production and food security. (Ends)