Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe state has inaugurated a 13- man steering committee to ensure the smooth implementation of the Gombe Goes Green project, which seeks to achieve the planting of four million trees in four years.
This was contained in a press statement signed by the Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, Mr Samaila Uba Misilli, and made available to newsmen in Gombe, Thursday. He said the committee would be led by the state deputy governor, Dr Manassah Daniel Jatau, who is to serve as chairman of the committee.
Governor Yahaya tasked members to design and implement strategies that will ensure the sustainability of the 3G programme for the socio-economic development of the state.
He said: “Members of the committee are to facilitate the planting of one million trees each year for a period of four years, ensure the production of quality seedlings for the project as well as to encourage community participation and partnership in the project implementation.”
“The committee is also to sensitise the public on the consequences of tree felling and take any action necessary for the overall good of the project.”
Governor Yahaya said the 3G project becomes necessary in view of the environmental challenges facing Gombe state as a whole. The project, he added, has multiplier effect, as it will generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs for the youth, women and other vulnerable members of the society as well as beautify the environment.
“With the inauguration of this steering committee to ensure the successful implementation of the Gombe Goes Green project, I am confident that environmental challenges confronting our dear state such as desertification, gully erosion and land degradation will be addressed.”
The governor said his administration, in its determination to address environmental challenges, has already paid a counterpart fund of five hundred million naira to the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), which is a World Bank assisted project aimed at addressing the gully erosion crisis and land degradation in multi-dimensional scale.
He called on the people of the state to take ownership of the project by supporting the committee’s mandate of ensuring that trees planted are nurtured to maturity.
Chairman of the committee, Dr Manasseh Daniel said the benefits derivable from the Gombe Goes Green project cannot be quantified.
He assured the governor that the committee will work assiduously to deliver on its mandate.
The Dr Manassah Jatau- led committee has the Commissioner of Environment and Forestry, Dr Hussaina Goje as vice chairman, while Dr. Muazu Shehu is to serve as secretary/ project coordinator.
