By Dipo Olowookere
Residents of Lagos State have been urged to cultivate the habit of regular tree planting and as well continually seek ways of preserving and protecting the environment from degradation.
This call was made by the Commissioner for Environment in the state, Mr Babatunde Adejare, during a seminar held on Tuesday.
The Commissioner said environmentalists and relevant stakeholders in Lagos State must put all their hands on deck to salvage the environment and maintain the aesthetic landscape of the state.
At the seminar organized by the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK) for the organised private sector, Mr Adejare further said all stakeholders in the environment sector should make it a habit to be responsive to their responsibility of preserving nature and beautifying the environment.
He stressed that the importance of the seminar was to enlighten and reawaken the consciousness of every member of the society to the sacred responsibility of preserving nature and beautifying the environment.
The Commissioner pointed out that the seminar would afford participants the opportunity to brainstorm and reflect on the significant roles trees play in promoting and preserving better living condition.
According to him, “Trees have been proven as the cheapest mean of combating the negative effects of climate change and global warming. Thus, each time we cut down trees, we are declaring war against our collective survival.
“Let me assure you that the state government shall not relent in its efforts aimed at encouraging more participation of all sectors, not only in Tree Planting programmes, but in all the State environmental programmes vis-à-vis sanitation, waste disposal, air pollution and waste water management among others.”
Mr Adejare informed that the present administration has developed a holistic solution to the environmental challenges bedevilling the state, with the recent unveiling of the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI), which is expected to complement significantly all efforts that could aid the regeneration of the environment.
“The reform will address the challenges in the solid environment, human health, greening programme and social living standards of Lagos residents by promoting harmonised and all-inclusive approach to the challenges, thereby improving operational efficiency,” he reiterated.
The Commissioner, however, appealed to Lagosians to render necessary support to the Government on matters affecting the environment, saying that, “I hope that a viable feedback mechanism will evolve at the end of the seminar whereby adequate and purposeful follow-up action would be developed to ensure continuity and achieve environmental sustainability.”
Earlier, the General Manager of LASPARK, Mrs Abimbola Jijoho-Ogun expressed the belief that the seminar will open a new chapter in the ways and manner trees and other plants are maintained for the overall benefits of Lagos State in particular and the whole country in general.
She recalled that the Agency recently concluded series of sensitization campaign tagged ‘Work for Tree’ in the entire divisions of the state for the informal sector.
“The success of the campaign remains both heart-warming and rewarding. The programme drew all our artisans, CDAs, CDCs, as well as market men and women. It will amaze you that they even had to share personal experiences on how trees have saved their properties from the storm,” the General Manager stated.
