Lagos charges residents on tree planting, bottle recycling

Former Lagos Deputy Governor, Adejoke Adefulire and top government officials at the event

The Lagos State Government at the weekend charged residents of the state on the need to plant tree and turn waste to wealth by recycling empty bottles for a cleaner and safer environment.

The government made the call during a programme to commemorate this year’s International Day of Peace at the Gani Fawehinmi Park, Lagos. The programme was organised by the Citizens Mediation Centre, CMC, an arm of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice.

The 2019 International Day of Peace has the theme: “Climate Action for Peace: Clear Blue Skies.” The theme is expected to raise public awareness through campaigns and advocacy to the threat posed to human settlements through natural disasters, conflicts, food security and deforestation.

Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General of the State, Moyo Onigbanjo, SAN, said the people owed it as a duty to sustain “our world by adopting and supporting the use of renewable energy and environmentally friendly practices.”

Onigbanjo said the programmes were put together to engage members of the public to adopt a peaceful and harmonious attitude and promoting a “Green” environment through planting of trees and flowers to beautify the environment and cleanse it of toxic substances.

Rotimi further said that the money made from the bottles recycled would be used to assist children who were out of school in conjunction with Non-Governmental Organisations, NGOs.

“We have decided that we are going to plough back to our community by helping children on the streets. We have a lot of NGOs we are working with, they are trying to get the children off the streets. The reason why they are on the streets in the first place is because they cannot afford to go to school. We will assist them in paying their school fees.

“We have some NGOs here that they donate bottles to the school rather than paying with money. What we have done here today is a feat and an eye-opener to all our other colleagues in other government agencies that even though we are civil servants, we can also contribute into the society,” she added.