By Prince J Musa in Kenema
As part of a response to the calls on environmental management, the Ministry of Environment in collaboration with other Agencies and partners on the 30th July 2022, continued the national tree planting exercise in the Kenema district.
Speaking at phase two of the national tree planting at Tiloma Community in the Nongowa Chiefdom, Kenema District, the District Forestry Officer, Julius Sam said, President Julius Maada Bio made a commitment at the international fora that five million trees will be planted across the country under his leadership.
This he said was due to the massive deforestation that has ravaged the physical features of the country as a result of human activities on the environment. He added that, under phase one, the ministry was able to plant one million trees, noting that one million six hundred trees will be planted across the country during this second.
“Kenema District alone will plant 40 thousand trees in this second phase of national tree planting’’ he said.
The Provincial Secretary East, Andrew Jones Fofana on behalf of the government described tree planting as one of the flagship projects to transform the country for a safer environment. He stated that deforestation is causing natural disasters such as drought, flooding, windstorm, erosion, and global warming.
“Most disasters that affect community is as a result of environmental destruction,’’ Fofana added.
Paramount Chief of Nongowa Chiefdom, PC Sidique Matoe Kapuwa commended the land-owning family at Tiloma for offering the land for development. He said deforestation has become a security threat to humanity, especially in Kenema city where the Kambui forest has been greatly destroyed.
He said, his Chiefdom authorities will continue to support the national tree planting and called on other communities to do likewise.
The Chairman of Kenema District Council, Mohamed Amodu Sesay, noted that the dream of this government is to restore the forest that has been destroyed over the years. He said Sierra Leone was once known to be a forested country.
He warned the project coordinators to do due diligence on the project and to ensure that they do the correct thing by recruiting more young people into their operational communities.
One of the service providers, expo –Nongowa Agric program Coordinator Roland Bandeth thanked the government for the support accorded to the organization. He said they have nine acres of land being developed for swamp and fifty acres for agricultural production.
He assured the people that, they will continue to do their best in tree planting as they have employed over twenty young people. He thanked the community of Tiloma for working with them and giving them the land for the project.
