Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
The Taraba Timber Buyers Association (TTBA), have commenced the planting of over five million trees across the sixteen local government areas of Taraba state to cushion the effect of climate change occasioned by massive deforestation in the state.
he chairman of the association Mr. Josiah Magaji who disclosed this in his speech at Bakin Dutse during the flag off of the tree plantation project tagged “Green Taraba Afforestatio Project” said the association has benefited from falling of trees for economic value and has deemed it necessary to also replace the fallen trees in other to safeguard the land.
Magaji said the Taraba Timber Buyers have earmarked plantation of 5 million trees in five years across the sixteen local government areas and two Development Areas of Taraba state.
He said the planting of the 5 million trees have since commenced in August 2020 in two local government areas where thousands of the trees have already been planted and asked l for support of government, traditional rulers, youths and security agencies to succeed in the project.
“This project is a dream we have nursed for years to have a state where timber harvesting and forest activities are carried out responsibly and sustainably, we believe that in collaboration with the state ministry of environment, sustainability is achieved”
Meanwhile, the local government chairmen of Sadauna and Ardo-Kola and other traditional rulers have commended the initiative as a laudable program that will help to restore the environment and sustain the forests assets of the state.
Mr. Oliver Wubong, the chairman of Sadauna local government council and his counterpart Salihu Dovo of Ardo-Kola who expressed their readiness to support the planting of trees within their local areas call for a sustainable action by the association to make Taraba state green again.
The two local government boses stated that trees are not just of economic and home value but also important in human existence since trees can produce conducive oxygen for animals living.
The first class chief of Gyembu in Sadauna local government Dr. Shehu Audu Baju while he receive the leadership of Taraba Timber Buyers Association in his palace call on all and sundry to support the aforestation initiative of the group.
Baju said the importance of trees in every environment can not be over emphasis, and lamented that government have neglected the area of aforestation in the state which he said has caused serious environmental changes.
In Ardo-Kola local government area, the Kuru of Kona chief Augustin Njenmang who attended the 5 million trees plantation by the Association at Bakin Dutse urged the leadership of the association to make it as a policy to sustain the project.
Njenmang said trees and forest were security to humans, land and nature, he call on the government to key into the Association’s tree plantation initiative to safeguard the land from desert encroachment and climate change.
