Governor Makinde Launches Tree Planting Campaign in Oyo State

Source: VON

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday, launched a tree planting campaign in the state, as part of activities marking his administration’s second year in office, to optimise environmental quality and human health for the current and future generations. The governor, while launching the campaign at the frontage of the Head of Service building, Secretariat, Ibadan, said that if planting of trees is well-promoted, it would have an impact on the kind of environment that would be handed over to the upcoming generation. 

He disclosed that his administration is set to plant 500,000 trees within the 24 months remaining in its tenure, noting that consistent tree planting would positively affect the quality of life of citizens. Makinde decried the negative way and manner people have been mismanaging the environment, such as destroying vegetation and felling trees, which has caused the weather to be unpredictable, therefore necessitating planting of trees. He stated: So, we now have a situation whereby the weather system is unpredictable. Sometimes, when we think we should have fairly decent cool weather, it could be hot. It is an indication of how we have mismanaged our environment.”

“In terms of the campaign and the scheme itself, we can set a target of 500,000 trees within the remaining tenure of this administration. So, we will break it down to what we should achieve on a monthly basis for the next 24 months and we will keep to that,” the governor promised. He later made a symbolic planting of the Cedera Odorata tree, after which other executive members performed the same exercise.