In an efforts to curb desertification and other environmental challenges, Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umar Radda has performed the flag off ceremony of the Katsina State ACReSAL 2023 tree planting campaign in the state.
Speaking during the occasion at Yusuf Bala Usman College Daura, Governor Dikko Umar Radda warned against illegal cutting of the trees.
He said the indiscriminate cutting of trees has resulted to problems of deforestation, erosion and flooding with devastating consequences on lives and properties.
According to the Governor, the act of indiscriminate tree felling without replacement is causing drought and other environmental challenges.
This was disclosed in a statement by Zaharadeen Sani, Communication Officer, Katsina ACReSAL, adding that Governor Radda reiterated his administration’s commitment to environmental protection and government commitment to fight irresponsible of climate change frustrated by some people.
The governor who mentioned that a lot need to be done on ecosystem, described people as part of system when the universe is devastated by human actions and inactions, saying that tree planting is the way to go for sustainable development.
Governor Dikko Radda called on the college Community to come together to fight for survival and take back the lost part of the environment.
He said Katsina State government will put more efforts in ensuring that ACReSAL Project succeeds in the state.
Malam Dikko Radda expressed optimism that Katsina ACReSAL State Project Management Unit will achieve the desired targeted.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Katsina State Commissioner of Environment, Alhaji Musa Adamu Funtua pointed out that Katsina State government has done a lot in seeing ACReSAL Project comes to a reality in the state.
He said part of the State governments effort was the payment of the counterpart fund amounting to the tune of one billon naira.
Alhaji Musa Adamu Funtua maintained that planting trees will help in securing the future of generation to come.
He stressed the importance of tree to mitigating the negative impact of climate change.
The commissioner also said the Katsina ACReSAL 2023 tree planting exercise starts with some selected higher institutions of learning in the state covering about ten thousand varieties of tree seedlings.
He however said more seedlings would be distributed to communities, institutions, schools, privates and other public places.
Alhaji Musa Adamu Funtua noted that the state government had given a priority on environmental challenges, most especially on the issues of biodiversity, conservation, restoration of degraded lands, addressing climate challenges, fighting the menance of desertification and desert encouragement, pollution control, prevention of flooding, environmental sanitation among others.
He tasked the institution to set up efforts in sensitizing students and even stakeholders on importance of tree planting.
The Commissioner added that the tree planting exercise conducting by Katsina ACReSAL across the state was aimed at reducing soil erosion, climate change and enhancing biodiversity.
He noted that human activities such as bush burning, illegal felling of trees is continuously putting pressure on the fragile ecosystem, thereby threatening food security among other negative climate impacts.
Alhaji Musa Funtua revealed that every piece of nature is significant in some way and contributes equally to keeping the ecosystem balanced, adding that one of the most impact of these natural items is the tree which offers us numerous advantages.
The Environment Commissioner also said trees are carbon sinks that play the roles of staring carbon dioxide in their roots, woods and leaves, saying that carbon dioxide and oxygen are exchanged in a whole cycle in plants.
Alhaji Musa Adamu Funtua further said the more trees are planted, the cleaner the air will be, and the air would be pure and free from toxins if there were sufficient oxygen.
The Environment Commissioner therefore explained that trees are excellent for people and they are natural partners for healthy living.
On his part, the Katsina State ACReSAL Project Coordinator, Alhaji Halliru Mohammed said Katsina project Unit will ambitiously target the planting of one million trees across all parts of the state.
He explained that each local government area and the state capital will rise number of trees to make up the one million trees.
Alhaji Halliru Mohammed also said the ACReSAL Project is expected to restore about one million hectres of land and want to live behind institutions that will be able to do so.
The Project Coordinator therefore thanked the state government under the leadership of Malam Dikko Umar Radda for the support given to Katsina ACReSAL which will no doubt add more colour to the implementation process of the project in the state.
In a vote of thanks, the Emir of Daura Alhaji Umar Faruk Umar expressed appreciation to
Katsina ACReSAL under the watch of the State Government over the gesture, nothing that it would go a long way in combating the threat posed by the desertification in his domain.
He urged his subjects to imbibe the habit of planting trees in their environs in order to combat climate change and desertification and eschew any form of indiscriminate cutting of trees.
Speaking on behalf of the Yusuf Bala Usman College, the College Provost, Professor Sadiya Sani Daura promised to safeguard the plant from vandarlisers.
Highlights of the occasion was the symbolic tree planting by the Katsina State Governor Malam Dikko Umar Radda, the Speaker of Katsina State House of Assembly, Nasiru Daura, the Grand Khadi, Emir of Daura Alhaji Umar Faruk Umar, Commissioner of Environment Alhaji Musa Adamu Funtua among others.
Another highlight was a public enlightenment songs show on the impact of cutting trees and distribution of pliers and palm plates.