The
Governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade has declared July 30th every
year, starting from 2019, as a public holiday for the planting of one
million trees in a ceremony known as the Green Carnival.
A
statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Christian Ita on Wednesday in
Calabar, quoted the governor as explaining that setting aside a day for
tree planting “underscores our readiness for the REDD+ and commitment
to forest conservation and management.”
As reported by
PMNewsnigeria, REDD+ is Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest
Degradation, plus the sustainable management of forests, and the
conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
It is also
an essential part of the global efforts to mitigate climate change,
while FAO is supporting developing countries in their REDD+ processes
and in turning their political commitments, as represented in their
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDD), into action on the ground.
The
governor, who disclosed that one million trees would be planted during
this year’s Green Carnival, said the exercise was also aimed at
addressing the challenge of urban deforestation.
He said the
event which is to take place simultaneously across the 18 local
government areas of the state “is one of the measures to tackle global
warming, deforestation and climate change”.
He expressed the
optimism that the state’s forest cover, which represents 58 percent of
Nigeria’s forest cover, would, through the Green Carnival, grow to 68
percent.
The governor said that the event would also drive home
the state’s commitment towards the implementation of the Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA) on the 275km Superhighway project in the state.
Ayade
expressed optimism that the state’s forest cover, which represents 58
percent of Nigeria’s forest cover, will through the Green Carnival, grow
to 68 percent.
He pledged that the Urban Green Canopy Calabar
initiative would sustain Calabar as the greenest city in Nigeria and
Cross River as the greenest state.
He added: “Consequently, all
schools, homes, ministries, government agencies and departments, banks,
hospitals and all business premises must plant new trees.
“Subsequently it will be an offence not to plant a tree on that day.”
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