Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, on Wednesday, flagged off of tree planting campaign to mitigate the negative effects of climate change across the 13 Local Government Areas of the state.
Speaking at the event in the Karu LGA of the state, Sule said the initiative was aimed at promoting greener pastures, adding that it would also help in enhancing the overall well-being of the residents.
The Governor noted that his administration had completely aligned with the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government’s environmental conservation and community development drive.
‘The campaign seeks to beautify the state, reduce the impact of erosion, and foster a healthier environment for residents’, Sule added.
He further explained that the state government had distributed sufficient waste bins to all the 13 LGAs of the state for proper disposal of waste.
He noted that when waste are poorly managed and organised through climate-smart approach, they could be converted and used for agricultural purposes and power generation for economic prosperity.
Speaking on the regular traffic congestions in Karu, the governor said the state government had requested for funding from the FG for the construction of alternative routes in Mararraba, Gitata, Gurku, adding that plans are underway to construct a flyover/underpass to curtail the frequent congestions in the area.
On her part, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Margaret Elayo, called on residents of the state to join hands with the government to preserve the environment and keep it clean in order to guard against diseases and disaster.
Elayo attributed environmental challenges in most communities to improper management of waste, adding that such could lead to climate change and desertification.
She, therefore charged the residents to henceforth, properly dispose their waste in the trash bins provided at strategic locations for pick up by the Nasarawa State Waste Management Agency.
In their separate remarks, the Esu Karu, Luka Panya-Baba, and the Chairman of Karu LGA, Abubakar Madaki, complained that the blockage of the roads in the Old Karu and Rugan Madaki was causing untold hardship to motorists, thereby deteriorating the traffic challenges in the area.
They further appealed to the Nasarawa State government to look into the matter with a view to proffering a lasting solution in order to reduce the challenges of the motorists and other residents in the area.
It was earlier reported that Vice-President Kashim Shettima said the Federal Government intends to plant 20 billion trees in the next rainy season as part of its national reforestation and environmental sustainability drive.
Shettima made this known after touring multiple agricultural and industrial facilities across Ethiopia.
He also toured the Adama Dairy Farms, Luke Avocado Nursery, Shera Dibandiba Mojo Family Integrated Farm, Biyyo Poultry Farm, and Bishoftu Pea Farm as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development.
