The Edo State Government, on Thursday, urged residents to desist from illegal tree felling and indiscriminate bush burning so as to preserve the state’s ecosystem.
The government team, led by the Acting Team lead, Edo State Oil Palm Programme Implementation Office, Mr. Churchill Oboh, took to major streets in the Benin metropolis and some communities hosting the state’s forest reserves to sensitize the residents on the dangers of illegal logging and bush burning.
Speaking to journalists in Benin City, Oboh urged residents to embrace planting of trees to support the government’s efforts at sustaining the health of citizens and growing the economy.
According to him, “Today, we are sensitizing the good people of Edo to come together to protect the environment. We have also identified certain things that we need to do and the ones we need to avoid.
“We have come to educate the people to stop the cutting of trees as it affects the environment; we have also come to tell them to stop uncontrolled bush burning.”
He further noted, “The constant logging of trees is what we must stop by all means. We are encouraging them to go into planting trees, which is very key to our health and the economy. We are going to extend this campaign to communities where these activities are mainly carried out.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of Oil Palm Produce in Edo, Mr. Atoe Efosa, said that they joined the campaign to educate the people on the need to protect all kinds of economic trees.
“We are willing to support the government in the protection of oil palm trees, as it will further create jobs for our young ones,” he said.
In his contribution, the representative of Africa Palm Oil Initiatives in Edo, Mr. Emmanuel Omondeagbon, called on relevant stakeholders to cultivate the habit of tree planting, adding, “this will open up our state for development.”
