World Environment Day: Obaseki pledges to pay N500 for each tree planted

As the World celebrates environment day, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has promised to pay N500 for each tree planted to encourage the citizens to key into the state government’s tree-planting programme.
Obaseki, who made the pledge on Monday at the celebration of the 2017 World Environment Day in Benin, said that the payment of N500 per tree would be for each of every 10 trees planted.
He said that the government would set up `Green Squad’ for young men and women to achieve the target of 150,000 trees in a year.
“The wellness of the environment should be the responsibility of everyone for the sake of all and future generation.
“Let us change our attitude towards our environment and contribute to saving the earth.
“The only way to achieve this is to reduce the way we liter our environment, throwing trash around, cutting down trees, and building on natural water ways.
“I assure you that government will do everything possible to protect the environment,” he said.
Obaseki, however, said that an enforcement agency would be set up within the next couple of weeks to ensure that we clean and tidy up our environment.
He said that the theme of this year’s celebration, “Connecting People to Nature”, has great significance on the beauty of nature.
Highlight of the celebration was the planting of Monumental Trees by the governor and other dignitaries.