Tree Planting: Anambra To Distribute 0.5m Seedlings

The Anambra Government is  to distribute more than 500,000 seedlings to the 21 local government areas for tree planting under its afforestation programme.

The state’s  Commissioner for Environment, Dr Michael Egbebike, said this in Awka recently while speaking to newsmen.

Egbebike, who pledged that the state government would do everything possible to preserve the environment, solicited the support of  residents.

To ensure a clean environment, he said the state government had procured massive receptacles where people could dump their refuse.

The commissioner, however, decried the attitude of some residents of  Awka, Nnewi and Onitsha who he said still dump garbage on the streets.

“ Dumping a truck load of garbage on the road by unknown persons is an attempt to sabotage the efforts of government,”  he said.

He warned perpetrators to desist from such unwholesome acts, saying any person caught in the act would be severely punished.

Egbebike said  the greatest challenge the state government would contend with would be the collection of sanitation levy from residents.

“ If people do not pay their sanitation levy, it will be difficult for us to maintain and replace the receptacles,” Egbebike said.

He said magistrates had been assigned by the state government to try those who refuse to pay the sanitation levy.