Kingsley U.N. Chikwendu —
The Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of State, FCT, Mr Austine Elemue, yesterday said the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has begun the process of training and empowering its Forest Guards to effectively carry out surveillance activities to stop further damage to environs in the FCT. This, he said was according to the minister, Dr. Ramatu Aliyu, at a tree planting campaign, held in Kuje Area Council, Abuja.
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The minister noted that the training of forest guard was part of steps enhanced to protect the forests. She stressed that the campaign would help in raising more public awareness on the importance of engaging individual and collective actions to boost tree planting activities which she said is aimed at supporting the actualization of the promise made by President Muhammadu Buhari that the country will plant 25 million trees within the next ten years, to mitigate the effects of climate change and enhance Nigeria’s carbon sink.
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Dr. Aliyu added that the administration had sustained the tree planting campaign with the planting of over 12,000 trees across the six area councils annually and said “it is part of efforts by the FCT Administration to reclaim lost trees and forests, as well as, keep the existing forest landscapes intact.”
She confirmed that the FCT Administration had instituted an annual award to select the best environmentally friendly area council in the territory and therefore, called on developers to make adequate provisions to accommodate trees.
