The Taraba state state government has charged institutions to intensify tree planting to encourage afforestation in the state.
The Commissioner for Tertiary Institution, Mr. Edward Baraya made the call on Thursday at the Taraba state Polytechnic while performing the maiden tree planting organized by the institution.
He said tree planting was not just for beautification of the environment but also highly economical, as well as provide both shelter and conducive environment for inhabitants of the earth.
Baraya, while appreciating the polytechnic for the initiative, also pleaded that the institution should partner with the state government so as to take the program to the sixteen local government areas.
” If we all remember in our school days, i remember when i was in the primary school every year we used to have a program called ‘tree planting’ and every student will plant a tree. That is the more reason why you find nim trees in schools. Along the line a lot of things came into play and the practice is no longer obtainable.
“The question is what are we doing? we have cut this trees without any efforts to plant again it is neccessary that tree planting campaign should be intensified.
“I don’t want the polytechnic to restrict it to the campus but i want to see how you can assist or partner with the state government, so that this can be taken to the local governments in the state because it will go a long way in rebuilding the environment. I quit support the decision of the polytechnic to commence tree planting”.
The Rector, Taraba state polytechnic, Mr. Ayuba Abashi in a welcome address said the initiative was part of the process in making sure that the process of cutting down trees without planting is greatly reduced.
According to him, the program was initiated by the school of science and promised that the polytechnic will partner with the state government in order to have trees planted across the state.
“This is an attempt to ensure that the process of cutting down trees without planting that is affecting the environment is greatly reduced. This is just the beginning, as the years go by, we will be doing it consistently meaning that it is going to be done on annual basis.
“I believe that as the school sustains this, it is going to help the enviroment to be more beautiful also where there are trees you discover that the effects of wind storms will be reduced greatly”, Ayuba said.
