Soludo flags off the tree-planting program, distribution of ten million seedlings

By Cajetan Mmuta, Awka

The Anambra state government on Saturday flagged off the launch of over ten million trees and seedlings for distribution this year as part of measures to boost the future of the people and leapfrog the economy of the state.

The State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo who kicked off the exercise
held at the Achebe Stadium, Fegge, in Onitsha South Local Government Area disclosed that the first phase of about 1.4 trees and seedlings would be distributed to all households towards ensuring sustainable means of livelihood for the people and for future generations.

The distribution of about 2.2m plants and seedlings woul include 700,000 palm seedlings, 200,000 Ukwa (breast fruit), 50,000 Bitter Kola and 50,000 Kola-nuts, soursop, coconuts and other seedlings.

Soludo said, “We are going to mainstream tree planting as a new culture in the state for a real green economy where every household will take ownership ”

He maintained that the gesture would be extended to all primary, secondary and higher institutions as well as religious bodies to make the environment grow and pull our forests from the degradation of erosion.

He tasked traditional rulers, President Generals of Town Unions, leaders and stakeholders across the state to make land available for the new green economy initiative, adding that today’s event is symbolic as we are creating a new future for Anambra state which he said would “endure many decades.”

He stated that his administration was committed to re-inventing the agricultural programme of the former Eastern regional government of the Late Dr M. I. Okpara.

He pointed out that all the 326 wards across the state would be used for the distribution of the plants and seedlings, adding that the target of his administration is to create a new ecosystem and transform Anambra into a “Green state” where all other African countries would come for economic tree seedlings of all types.

“My administration does not believe in giving you fish to eat for today, we believe in providing you with the required tools to empower for sustainable survival and those of your future generations. And by the time you plant all these seedlings in the next few years, you would have had sustainable sources of livelihood”, Soludo said.

“The silent revolution would ensure that all rare and disappearing trees are nurtured towards getting families out of poverty.

“This is a sustainable empowerment to ensure hundreds of thousands of families are out of poverty. Our target is the vulnerable, the poor, and widows. It is also to achieve long-term industrial revolution to blossom agro-allied industry, etc”.

long-term campaign to the villages, homes, families, markets, churches and schools and ensure that everybody plants a tree every year”.

He also bemoaned the menace of gully erosion that has devastated major parts of the state, urging the citizens not to despair but rather to plant economic trees in every available space around their homes and environment.

Earlier, the commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Foster Ihejiofor in his address said that the plants and seedlings go a long way to providing food, timbers and other products for manufacturing processes.