By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – THE Edo State government on Saturday commended a tree planting initiative of a private estate developer and called for other like minds to join in the quest to protect the environment.

   The Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Jonathan Lawani stated this during the tree planting exercise organized by Buildzone Housing Solutions and Developers in collaboration with Rotary Club of Benin.
 

He said “I am very happy with this initiative and I am even more happy because today happens to be the 31st anniversary of Edo state, Edo is a great state and we need to put our heads together to make it great again in line with the governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki’s Making Edo Great Again (MEGA) which is the MEGA agenda.

 “This is just a confirmation of what the ministry is doing and we want to congratulate all those that have been collaborating with us particularly Buildzone and Rotary club because they have shown that it is not just government alone, government is collaborating with the people and the people must be involved in making sure that all that government is doing are sustained.”

  On his part, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Buildzone, Osayi Collins said he was motivated to embark on the tree planting because of an estate his company is developing that would lead to the uprooting of trees.
   

He said “From our secondary school days, we understand that afforestation is crucial so planting trees is something we cannot run away from. We are developing an estate in a part of the city that will cover over ten hectares of land so without being told, there is no way we are not going to remove some trees and that is not part of our own goals so we came up with this idea to plant over a hundred trees across the state and this is an initiative we are going to keep doing. Afforestation is the way forward, we cannot keep bringing down trees; Buildzone is an eco-friendly company and we invite the public to join in this, it is a continuous exercise because climate change is a greater problem we all face and we thank the state government for giving us the enabling environment to be here. We are going to plant and maintain them and increase the number.”

  He said “Studies have shown that patients with outdoor views and access to tree heals more quickly and with fewer complications, research also suggests that trees and greenery reduce stress and improve overall mental health. A home full of healthy trees creates a more positive and calming setting for service men and women who are healing. The world needs trees now more than ever.

  “We are encouraging all communities to make the most of this year’s tree planting season and invest in their future livelihood today.”