Environment Is The Most Topical Issue Of The Day Says Fashola

Lagos State Governor, Babtunde Fashola of Lagos state has said that the environment is the most topical issue of the day because of its relevance to the economy, health of the people and businesses in the state.
He said this as he joined other friends of the environment in planting trees to commemorate the 75^th birthday of the founder of Fight Against Desert Encroachment (FADE), Dr Newton Jibunoh, which held at Wahab Folawiyo Senior School, Ikoyi Lagos.
Governor Fashola also revealed that about 4.2 million trees have been planted between 2008 and 2012, a figure he rate as low.
He added that if there is any reason why anybody should change his mind if he has never planted a tree before or felt the earth with his hands, he should consider that all those who have fraternized with the Conservation Foundation have lived on to become 90 and beyond.
“Really, businesses, factories, car assembly plants will be consumed if the environment wins this last battle. It is the final battle. Our engagement with nature has been one of a constant battle. Many times we have won, the engineers have propelled us to greater heights to overcome nature and control it”.
“But somehow, somewhere, I think we have taken a little too much and nature is fighting back. If nature wins, it will be very perilous for our planet, but we can begin to tease nature by giving her back some things”, the Governor said.
He explained that trees will become the first line of defence against flooding, erosion, desertification adding that if one cannot connect desertification with heavy rains, increasing price of food or with lost farmlands, dwindling resources to sustain and nourish the people then it will be difficult for such a person to connect anything.
He stated that many parts of the world are losing their arable land and it would not be out of place to ask that every home in Lagos must ensure that they find a small place to plant at least one tree.
Governor Fashola saluted the celebrant for dedicating four decades of his life to a cause that he is not the sole beneficiary expressing the hope that the day will become significant for all of those who witnessed the ceremony.
Jibunoh said the tree planting exercise is meant to evoke in the minds of everyone, a call to action, a call to be educated about what the people are doing to their environment.
He urged everyone to take the message away that if their children are celebrating birthdays or members of the family’s birthday, such people will go a long way if they use trees to commemorate such occasions.
“If this my little message can be taken seriously, you would have also given me a better birthday present than any other present because that is what I have stood for in the past 40 years and that is what I would continue to stand for all through the rest of my life”, he said.