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Fashola Flags Off 2011 Tree Planting Campaign In Lagos
…Says it is not enough to plant trees but to preserve existing ones

Jul 14, 2011 - Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Thursday flagged off the Year 2011 Tree planting campaign day in the State with a charge to everyone that it is not enough to plant a tree but to preserve existing ones and protect them from those who may wish to cut them down for any reason.

Governor Fashola who spoke at the Oyingbo Bus stop venue of the Year 2011 Tree planting exercise with the theme: "A Tree for Life" reasserted that it is not lawful for anybody to cut down any tree in Lagos without permission from the Ministry of Environment.

The Governor who urged everyone to go out and plant a tree, explained that the cutting of trees threatens not only the economy, health but also the planet, adding that trees will also help erosion prone areas such as Ifako- Ijaiye and Obawole to check the menace.

He expressed gladness that efforts of the State Government in urban forestry which commenced in 2008 have been widely accepted by the people of Lagos State, describing it as phenomenal step that has endeared Lagos to many environment advocates both at home and abroad.

The Governor added that in the last 34 months of tree regeneration and reforestation, a total of three million trees have so far been planted in the State, stressing that when the advocacy for the tree planting and greening started, many who did not understand the great challenges that nature had in store for this part of the world questioned the value of spending money on tree planting and preservation.

"While we may all not be able to determine precisely the role played by the trees we planted in limiting the damage and impact of flood, the truth is that trees help to mitigate flooding and the combination of the strategies for mitigating and adaptation that we have employed clearly ensured prompt drainage of the flood immediately the rains stopped", the Governor said.

Governor Fashola said apart from the economic activity and the thousands of jobs that it has helped to generate, it also constitutes an important plank of the State's public health and preventive healthcare strategy in helping to depollute the air "because more trees means more oxygen and more trees also means better life".

He reiterated that when the proponents of Climate Change and Global Warming were alerting the world to the imminent dangers to the future of the earth, many considered them to be prophets of doom.

"Our government, which is far thinking and visionary, did not discount the advice or warnings of the experts. The future they predicted is here today. The whole world is witnessing unusual and abnormal weather phenomena. The thrust of my message is to urge all to continue to heed the advice of experts, that it is mitigation and adaptation that will help make life sustainable on this planet because our consumption and utilization of nature's gift have already caused some damage", the Governor said.

While saluting the vision of the previous leaders of Lagos for the various measures taken to contain the floods, Governor Fashola said over the last 72 hours Lagos State has emerged from the devastating effects of an unprecedented rainfall that lasted not less than 16 hours adding that in other places some cities have been submerged and remained like that for many days after just six hours rain.

Governor Fashola recalled that the state has set aside July 14 every year as tree planting day as a matter of deliberate policy to continuously sensitize the people on the importance of trees to the economy and the positive effects they have on the survival and general well being of the people and saluted the efforts of the youth and their commitment early in life.

He described this period as a season during which God releases its own blessings upon the earth and thanked the people for the resilience that they have shown, promising that he would work for the people across all season.

Speaking earlier, the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Tunji Bello said the world today is definitely in bad shape as the world needs billions of trees annually to bring back the eroding glory of nature.

"Tree planting is a campaign that must be sustained; the planting has to be more aggressive especially now that our people appreciate the aesthetic value trees add to our environment and also understand the health advantages. The days of trampling upon plated trees and willingly uprooting them are gone for good. Now is the time for all stakeholders to be more committed to the cause of this environmental regeneration", the Commissioner explained.

He strongly appealed to Lagosians to take care of trees and plant more "because when trees are planted, we plant hope; life and hope for us and to the future generation".

Prizes were also presented to winners of Me and My Tree Competition in public schools and Best Kept Trees ward for sectors with Master Adekoya Oreola of Abesan Junior High School emerging as winner of the best nurtured tree and Oladele Abidemi of Abesan College emerging the first runner up.

The Governor and some of the dignitaries at the event who included members of the State Executive Council and traditional rulers later planted trees to commemorate the tree planting day.

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