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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Governor Hope Uzodimma has directed the acting Local Government Chairmen in the 27 local government areas of Imo State to plant no fewer than 10,000 trees in their council areas within six months .
Uzodimma who gave the order on Tuesday while flagging-off the tree planting initiative and launching of the Hope Green Revolution in collaboration with development partners – Numerix Development Limited(NDL) and Summit Innovative and Synergy Ltd noted that it would deal with such natural disasters as flood and erosion.
While urging all to consider tree planting and other measures to check environmental abuse as panacea to solving the threatening climate change, the governor directed the twenty seven Council Chairman in the State to take the lead in planting a least ten thousand trees in their council areas .
He said: “I have been informed that through the launching of the ‘Hope Green Revolution’, which is the first of its kind in sub – Saharan Africa, we shall reap the benefits economically, ecologically and socially.
“I sincerely look forward to these benefits, which will include, safer and healthier environment, job creation and opportunities for increased internal revenue generation.
“As our own modest contribution to the realization of this lofty idea, I hereby direct the Chairmen of the 27 Local Government Areas in the state to plant a minimum of ten thousand trees in their domain within the next six months.” The governor said.
He continued: “It is remarkable that this event is taking place at a time when Nigeria has just experienced the worst type of flooding in recent history. As a result, many Nigerians lost their lives and property, while many more were displaced from their homes. As we speak, many Nigerians are yet to return to their homes, and we are all praying for the rains to abate and for the floods to recede.
“The “Hope Green Revolution” is an ambitious and revolutionary movement to address these anxieties and other consequences of extreme weather. Thus, this event could not have come at a better time”.Uzodimma said.
Earlier ,during the launching, the Managing Director of NDL,Babatunde Aina disclosed that Imo State can reap at least $10 billion in foreign direct investment if it can key into the Global Green Transmission Agenda, otherwise called Green Transition and Sustainable Economic Growth in Africa.
According to him,a yearly $100 billion is said to have been allocated to developing countries for environment-related projects, but regretted that Africa as a whole is not able to assess up to 4% of the funds meant for projects, ranging from power to transportation ,infrastructure among others.
