From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
Zuru Patriotic Forum (ZPF), a social group in Zuru Emirate of Kebbi State has handed over 250 economic trees to the management of the Government Girls Science College, Ribah in Danko Wasagu Local government areas of the state.
The Forum, had procured the trees seedlings, nurtured it for 12 months in the College and paying Guards who had been guarding the tree the sum of N15,000 monthly salary.
While handing over the trees to the Principal of the College, the Chairman, Board of Trustee (BOT) of the Forum, Alhaji Garba Musa Maidoki explained that the procurement of the seedlings also covered with the protective baskets, two each for the 250 young trees.
According to him, “the donation also covered the procurement of protective baskets, two each for the 250 young trees. This also covered the payment of monthly stipend for one year of two staff in charge of watering and monitoring.
“Our concern is about inculcating the love for trees amongst our young girls so that in future, they could pass the message to their children. We are also concerned about the need for the College to have a green environment to support learning”.
Maidoki, noted that the Forum has observed that the trees, comprises of Mahogany, Neems, Mangoes, have survived and grown very fast from the seedlings stages, stressed that, their survival have shown that the Forum objectives to fund the projects for green environment would be achieved.
A member of the BOT of the Forum, Professor Ahmad Sanda , who is also the project’s campaigner, explained that the College, which is a boarding school, fenced round, had met all the conditions the Forum set for any school to benefit from such programmes stressed that, without that, all the trees would be damaged by outsider.
He added that Alhaji Maidoki provided all the fund needed for the project and appreciated both the staff, the students of the College for their discipline, commitment for the success of the project, stressed that the signs of commitment they exhibited would not be forgotten.
“The Climate change can affect our economy, our agriculture, it could cause communal clashes. Some of these crises you are seeing in Nigeria was as a result of climate change. We are doing this to enabling you have a conducive learning environment in the school. You need shields while you are studying. We are happy that this project has succeeded ,over 90 percent of the tree have survived”.
He said that some of the mangoes, mahogany trees have grown fast because of school dedication, stressed that the school should continue to plant trees and encourage others to do the same.
Earlier, the Chairman of ZPF, Alhaji Sani Yusuf Tadi explained that the Forum’s members sat and discussed what they could offer to the new and unborn generations, thereby, agreed on the project which would be of tremendous benefits to many generations.
He said ; “ This forum would be serving as venue for all civil servants and well to do people to be giving back to the society. This community gave us a lot, we were born here, trained here and we are going to serve the community too. So, we are determined to serve our people and continue to put smiles in their faces. So, the ZPF came out with some programmes and one of them is campaign to covert desertification, from desert to afforestation. We started two year ago with a Federal College Zuru and we were here last year ’’.
He commended the management of the school for thoroughly supervising and nurturing of the seedling adding that, the forum would also extended other project such as rehabilitation of the school hall.
In her remark, the Principal of the College, Hajiya Maryam Namadi, commended the forum for donated the economic trees to the School.
She said:” by extension, the forum has rendered service to humanity. Because he who plant a tree, build a house and he who destroyed a tree, destroyed a house. I therefore, on behalf of the school management thank you for this project. This will go along way to provide shields, correct erosion and stabilize the soil and ecosystem of the school environment. This is the best way of fighting the climate challenge and enrich our environment”.
The Principal also appealed to the Forum to help them to renovate their dining hall, provision of water, fencing of girls hotel, adding that, the unborn generations of the community would continue to be grateful to them for the legacy they are leaving behind.