By Joseph Edegbo :
Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya says his administration is determined to provide good vegetational cover, effective erosion control and efficient reforestation system so that the environment will remain beautiful and conducive for productivity both in agriculture and livestock production”.
He stated this during the presentation of a water tanker and 10 tricycles to the Gombe Goes Green (3G) Coordination office, a hilux vehicle to the Gombe State Environment Protection Agency GOSEPA and another one for the task force on establishment of Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre headed by retired AIG Zubairu Muazu.
Speaking during the presentation of the vehicles, Governor Inuwa Yahaya said the presentation of the utility vehicles and the specially fabricated tricycles to 3G and the one for GOSEPA was in continuation of his administration’s commitment to provide a decent and conducive environment for the entire people of Gombe State.
He said this was why on coming to office his administration embarked on a journey of making Gombe green through the launching of the Gombe Goes Green 3G initiative in September 2019 with a target to plant at least one million trees each year for four years and beyond.
“So far I believe we have covered a long distance because with the rainy season this year we have already planted about 2.75 million trees”.
He said in conjunction with NEWMAP, his administration was able to set up a 20 hectare wood lot in 10 out of the 11 local government areas of the State with some of it containing economic trees to provide means of livelihood for the people especially the youths.
“You recall we engaged 27000 of our youths in conjunction with YESSO so that they can plant economic trees within these four million trees that we embarked upon planting and it has been yielding results; so we thank God that our youths are fully aware the community is aware and the entire State is fully aware of the efforts we are making and it is in order to enforce that position that we now engage in providing these watering tricycles so that we can enter all the nooks and crannies especially of Gombe metropolis”.
He said in as much as Gombe does not have a wood lot, his administration made it a point of duty to plant trees along the road so that they cannot only beautify the city but provide oxygen for the citizens to breath well and live well.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya thanked the people of the State for their co-operation and the effort they are making on the environment, assuring that the State government under his leadership will compliment the effort of the people and provide the basics required to attain the lofty objectives.
As for the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, the Governor said his administration is working hard for the full take off of the institute for the training of the youths, especially in traffic, environmental and security enforcement.
Earlier speaking , the coordinator, Gombe Goes Green 3G project, Dr Mohammed Tafida explained to the Governor that the tricycles were designed to carry one thousand litres of water and can water six hundred seedlings per trip.
He said the initiative to deploy the water carrying tricycles was to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in watering of tree seedlings across the State capital.
On his his part, the General Manager, Gombe State Environmental Protection Agency, GOSEPA, Mohammed Ahmed Kumo thanked Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for being a reliable and dependable friend of the environment, especially at a time when the attention of the world is shifting towards preserving the ecosystem.
