By Segun Awofadeji
Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Yahaya, has presented two Toyota Hilux van to the state coordination office of the Gombe Goes Green (3G )project to facilitate execution of its mandate of reclaiming the environment through tree planting campaign.
Presenting the operational vehicles to the director-general of the project yesterday the governor recalled that barely some three months into office, his administration launched the 3G initiative in Dukku Local Government Area with a clear target of planting one million trees each year.
He noted that the aim of the initiative was to fight desertification, degradation and the subsequent effects of climate change and global warming, as well as mitigate any environmental impacts on the people.
According to him, “In the last two years, we did a lot, and I believe that by facilitating the good work 3G is doing, they can still do more. Our target is to surpass the four million trees in four years.”
Yahaya revealed that the initiative has so far planted two million trees across the state. He, therefore, tasked the 3G project coordination office to redouble its efforts towards surpassing records of the previous years.
The governor added that with the exception of Gombe LGA, the Gombe Goes Green project has planted 20 hectares wood load in each of the local government area of the state.
He said his administration would continue to encourage the citizens towards planting trees rather than destroying forest reserves, maintaining that the framework of implementation and monitoring the art of reforestation was through the coordination office of 3G.
Yahaya said the state has equally received support and commendation from the Federal Ministry of Environment, NEWMAP and the Forestry Research Institute, which have since established an office in the state to compliment the initiative.
While responding, the Director-General of the Gombe Goes Green project, Dr. Mohammed Tafida, said the vehicles would help facilitate activities of the project to expand and consolidate on the gains so far recorded through the initiative.
Tafida assured the governor that his office would do everything necessary to ensure that the set targets are met in record time.
