The Triple Green Environmental Development Foundation (TGED Foundation) has inaugurated the planting of 5,000 trees initiative in Ekiti State.
The official planting and handing over to traditional rulers was held at the palace of Onisan of Onisan-Ekiti, Oba Ayodele Adejuwon in Isan-Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area of the state.
Adejuwon is presently the Chairman of the Ekiti Traditional Council.
Mrs Oluwaseyi Ebenezer, the team lead and Founder of TGED foundation, in her remarks at the event, said the initiative was aimed at educating the people especially at the grassroots on the need to embrace tree planting.
Ebenezer said the inauguration of the tree planting was part of the foundation’s measures to safeguard and protect the ecosystem.
She explained that the initiative was aimed at educating the people especially at the grassroots on the need to embrace tree planting in the society.
Ebenezer lamented the negative impact of the increasing deforestation across the state on the ecosystem.
She said the development necessary due to ignorance and lack of awareness among the people.
Ebenezer added that the donation of the indigenous trees of Gmelina and Afara to the traditional rulers in the communities would help drive the advocacy at the grassroots level.
“The Ekiti 5,000 tree planting initiative is created to help in promoting afforestation and creating awareness across the whole state.
“The importance of tree planting and the negative effect of climate change moved the foundation to donate indigenous trees to some selected towns in state through traditional rulers and stakeholders.
“Trees are crucial and very fundamental to maintenance of life on earth and provide protection, security and shades to human beings.
“Therefore, forests act as a giant filter and to clean the air we breathe and it is extremely important that our forest must be preserved and well managed.
“We are therefore using the Ekiti 5,000 tree planting initiative to encourage communities and towns across Ekiti State to imbibe the habit of tree planting and discourage the illegal falling of trees.
“Also, there is a huge need for communities to actively participate in forest ownership, management and protection, our forest should be seen as our shared value and heritage and thus more attention need to be paid to it,” she said.
Ebenezer commended the Onisan Adejuwon for his warm reception and support toward the inauguration of the tree planting.
She urged him to use his position as the chairman of state council of traditional rulers to rally his colleagues in encouraging their subjects “to practice afforestation as this will reduce flooding and windstorm in the state.”
In his remarks, Adejuwon, who commended the foundation for promoting the idea of tree planting in the state, noted that this action remained the best and most effective way to protecting the environment against climate change.
He assured the group that he would take up the challenge by encouraging his colleagues in the traditional rulers’ council on the need to educate the people the importance of practicing afforestation.
Representing the Chairman of the State Forestry Commission, the forest Officer for Oye LGA, Sunday Ogunremi, while commending the foundation for the initiative, explained that trees globally has been identified as the provider of the oxygen we breathe in.
Ogunremi reiterated the government’s commitment to continue partnership with relevant groups and individuals in a bid to discourage deforestation so as to mitigate the effect of climate change in the state.
The traditional council praised TGED foundation for starting the initiative in their domains and promised to support the planting of trees towards avoiding further depletion of the ozone layer.