As part of the World Environment Day (WED) celebration, Siat Nigeria Limited, last Monday planted over 120 assorted types of fruit trees to safeguard the environment and make it a better place.
In keeping with the theme of the event, ‘Reconnect With Nature’, workers of the company, who were shared into groups, actually reconnected with nature, as each of them stooped and planted different types of fruit trees, ranging from paw paw, sweet orange, pear, lime to guava, sour sop and coconut, among others.
This was after Mr. Marvellous Ogala, had thoroughly tutored them on the significance of the World Environment Day (WED) celebration, an initiative of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), to create, encourage and promote awareness on the environment, with a view to protecting and improving it.
Ogala, during a special presentation organised by the company to mark the day, said Siat Nigeria Limited, as an agro-allied company was committed to protecting a sustainable environment, through its policy on zero burning, no deforestation, conservation of the environment and pollution control, by reducing to the barest minimum Green House Gases (GHG).
He indicated that this year’s WED, which was hosted by Canada, had planting of trees as its major focus.
Ogala said planting of trees had both social, economic and environmental benefits, insisting that trees are the lungs of the planet.
The Chief Operating Officer of the company, Mr. Gerald Ray, while highlighting the importance of planting trees said, ‘by planting trees, we are sharing the environment with others and educating others about our environment”.
He said the importance of WED cannot be over-emphasised, as the celebration of the day was all-embracing, particularly against the backdrop of humanity using it as a platform for “preserving and protecting our collective heritage and future”, stressing that the day provides an opportunity for the world to make a difference.
He said, in an interview with newsmen that workers of the company, who had participated in the event, were offered an ample and unique opportunity to share their experiences with their families and their loved ones.
Ray stressed the need for greater number of people of the world to be involved in the planting of trees in order to make the world a better place.
He said Siat Nigeria Limited, in keeping with its best operational policies always strives for the best.
“Siat has to be the best and we do the best we could through transparency and discipline”, he intoned, adding that this must have influenced the recent award presented to the company by the Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike during the Golden Jubilee celebration of the state.
The chief operating officer said the support the company was getting from the present administration was second to none, assuring that the company would continue to do its best to contribute to the development of the state.
Workers of the company, actually added colour to the event, as they trooped out of their offices,  into the adjoining streets, within the premises, singing and dancing for the environment, to the admiration of on-lookers.

Donatus Ebi