Mrs. Stella Odey Ekpo; Flag off wet season tree planting

David Peter | Calabar

The task force on Tree planting headed  by Mrs Stella Odey Ekpo flagged off it's wet season tree planting today. On hand to carry out this all important assignment was Her Excellency the wife of Governor of Cross River state Dr Mrs Linda Ayade.

In attendance was the Leader of the state House of Assembly Rt Hon.Osim who equally doubled as the representative of the Speaker of the House of Assembly. 

Other dignatories who attended the event from the House of Assembly includes  Rt.Hon Regina Anyogor the deputy chief whip, Rt.Hon Elizabeth Ironbar, Rt.Hon Itam Abang, Hon Cynthia Nkassi.

Women organisations were on hand to Grace the event too. In her key note address Her Excellency enjoined all present to embark on Tree planting in order to mitigate against the effects of climate change among other  pressing reasons. She also enjoined all to support the tree planting committee inorder to achieve one hundred and forty thousand trees in replacement of trees that were destroyed in the course of constructing the superhighway.

In a related development, the chairman task force Hon. Stella Odey called on all present to join hands with the committee to ensure that the state achieve it's  target of planting  five million trees in the state.

Hon. Odey -Ekpo equally commended the Governor for his magnanimity in  establishing a ministry of climate change,the first in the country which he has used greatly to plant trees to the benefit of the state. The trees have helped in beautifying the state, conserving wild life, protecting our soil and helping to convert carbon dioxide to oxygen  during the process of photosynthesis. 

The permanent secretary climate change and forestry Mr Akwaji also emphasised on the gains of planting trees which he concluded by saying are too numerous to mention and advised all present to imbibe the habit of tree planting.

Highpoint of the event however,was planting of four hundred trees in the House of Assembly complex in commemoration of the innauguration of the ninth Assembly.

The members of the House all took turns to plant trees named after them which they promised to continue to nurture even after the ninth Assembly.