Governor Ayade in Calabar during this year's Green Carnival which had as theme; 'Go Green'
Green Carnival: C’River to compel landlords to plant four trees per compound
[From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar]
Cross River Government has concluded plans to issue an executive order compelling all landlords to plant four trees per compound.
The state governor Professor Ben Ayade made this known in Calabar during this year’s Green Carnival which had as theme “Go Green”.
The governor said this is aimed at providing a cover for the state and they the executive order will be followed by a legislation.
Ayade said: “We are going to have an executive order and followed by a law to the house of Assembly mandating every single landlord to plant a minimum of four trees per house.
“This will provide enough tree cover because the last time we had a storm in Calabar most roofs were blown off.
“If we had these trees it would have saved us the agony of trying to fix our house.
“We want to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and it is our responsibility to ensure that at no time do you drive through the streets of Calabar and have the sun at the back of your car.
“The top of your car should go through a canopy and this programme is intended to actually start the planting of trees” Professor Ayade said.
On illegal logging in the state, the governor stressed that he is liasing with the house of assembly to change the forest laws.
He said the state will move from absolute conservation to forest management to guarantee continuous planting of trees.
“Because of the massive invasion of our forest by illegal loggers we are going into consultation with the house of assembly to perhaps move from absolute conservation to forest management.
“We are going to review our forest laws to guarantee continuous planting of trees and not having to wait for the annual green carnival to plant trees” he said.
He said his administration has acquired a tree transplanter to enable the government transplant trees from one part of the state to another.
In his remarks, Mfon Bassey, the State Commissioner for Environment said the drive of the state to achieve a green economy has come to stay.
He commended the governor for putting in place policies and programmes like the Green Carnival to preserve the green economy of the state.
