The Nation Newspaper

Tag: tree

  • Afe Babalola: How a tree made a forest

    We all fall in love with proverbs and sayings of the wise and consider them building blocks for personal as well as national development. Very often, these popular sayings take a life of their own and they are expected to inspire us through life. Over time, they become almost cast in stone and become absolutes in themselves.

    For example, I firmly believe that the saying which over time has finally come to be known as the Golden rule was unquestionable and that everyone agreed to its meaning. To us all, the Golden rule simply is, Do unto others as you expect them to do unto you. Later, I heard someone say that in reality, the Golden rule means: Those who have the gold will rule!

    For the purpose of this tribute, I have had to reflect and question another very popular saying, namely, that: A tree cannot make a forest. It all seemed so clear to me that indeed, a tree cannot make a forest. In real life, this proverb is supposed to remind us that an individual’s impact is measured only in relation to the contribution of others. In paying tribute to Aare Afe Babalola, I think I have come across a man who puts this proverb severely to the test. Aare Babalola’s contributions to national life puts paid to the efficacy of this proverb. Aare Afe Babalola is in almost every sense of the word, a tree that has become a huge forest both metaphorically and in reality, especially given the huge farm that he has created in his eponymous university in Ado Ekiti.

    I first met and got to know Aare Babalola a bit closely in 2005 during the National Political Reform Conference of which I was secretary. With almost 400 distinguished Nigerians, he stood out in more ways than one. However, I really got to know him a bit closer when the NPRC broke into committees. Given the caliber of men and women who were members of the conference, we had had serious problems trying to get chairmen for the committees because of the status of the members.  Finally, we resolved that the committees should choose their own chairmen when they convened.

    I had the duty of going round the nine committees, listening to their debates, answering questions and coordinating their demands and so on. This was how I got a bit close to Aare Babalola. The committee on the constitution was considered the most important of the committees. If my memory serves me right, I think there were 17 Senior Advocates of Nigeria as members of that committee. By this time, the manouvre and intrigues over the third-term project were in full swing. We had series of side conversations and developed mutual respect for one another.

    The popular lore I first heard was that Aare Babalola never went to a formal school. Later, the truth came out. He himself proudly set the records straight: he had only finished standard six! Common standard six! At that level, you would expect that Aare Babalola should have been content with auditioning for a role as a side kick in the Village Headmaster television series content to stand behind the Kabiyesi. Or, he could have stood side by side with Gringory and Clarius in the Masquerade (Recall a scene in the Masquerade in which Gringory was unable to read a letter for Chief Zebrudaya during the day on grounds that he was attending night school and therefore could only read at night).

    Short of a miracle, how could a common standard six boy manage to bypass being an artisan in a carpentry workshop in Ekiti to totally alter the entire educational landscape of the entire state? Even if he had the temerity to come to Lagos after his standard six, could he not have been content with being a bus conductor in Oshodi where he could have become a secretary of the Association of Motor Touts?  Or, over time, could he have risen to become a vice chairman of the local branch of the NURTW? To fail to contemplate these questions is to fail to appreciate the shock and awe of Aare Babalola’s seismic rise to the pinnacle of law, industry and philanthropy.

    How could a common standard six boy read his way through law, rise to become one to the most recognisable faces of the legal profession both in his own country, Africa and beyond? How could a common standard six boy become a recipient of almost 10 honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria, Africa, Europe and America? Strangely, like Caesar, more than twice, he had been offered the crown of serving his nation as a minister, a chance to access the loot and more than twice he had turned it down.

    To be sure, there are many lessons for us to learn from the life and times of Aare Babalola. The lessons include co-operating with the grace of God, using 99% perspiration and a co-operating with the 1% of inspiration, discipline, sheer grit and tenacity. I watched as a common standard six boy presided over the affairs of the prestigious University of Lagos as chairman of the Governing Council, clearly exhibiting his impatience with the poor quality of education. He drew inspiration from there to move the mountain and set up his own university.

    In 2011, when my friend, Dr Kayode Fayemi invited me to speak at his first anniversary as governor in Ekiti, I made a note and decided that I would visit the university in the course of my visit. I told my host, my brother and friend, Bishop Felix Ajakaiye that I really had to go and see Afe Babalola University. We made the brief trip in haste because I had a plane to catch in Akure. I wanted to just drive round and see the buildings, but someone recognised me. I casually asked if Aare was around and it turned out we were just beside his office.

    I decided to stop and say a quick hello to him. He was so excited to see me and despite my time constraint, he called out and introduced me to most of the senior staff who were with him. He asked if I could address the students, no matter how briefly but I pleaded with him and we left. I was quite impressed by what I saw and wondered how an individual could achieve so much. The best was still to come.

    In 2015, to my greatest surprise, I received a letter from Aare Babalola informing me that the university had offered to confer an hononary doctorate degree on me and could I also kindly deliver a convocation lecture too? I was to share this honour with two distinguished Nigerians, the Alaafin of Oyo, Lamidi Adeyemi 111, and my good friend, Professor Attahiru Jega.

    The event was colourful. It included a tour of the entire university compound and some of the laboratories. It was something to behold. The evening convocation party had the legend, King Sunny Ade on stage. We were asked to go to the dancing floor but since neither Professor Jega nor his wife seemed equipped with dancing shoes, I decided to simply wriggle on my seat.

    Today, ABUAD has become a landmark university, raising the bar for university education beyond the shores of Nigeria, winning scores of national and international awards. It has elevated university education in Nigeria. So, when Aare Babalola called to inform me that he had been awarded the Awolowo Leadership Prize for 2018, I nodded and smiled in approval. He deserves this and even more. Chief Awolowo will be proud of what Aare Babalola has accomplished. He has defied the odds and demonstrated that indeed, a tree can make a forest. Today is Ash Wednesday and I therefore cannot join you. Accept my congratulations and prepare for more accolades, Aare.

  • LASPARK, Reliance Gardens partner on tree planting

    Determined to ensure a safer environment, especially in the wake of climate change, all estates being developed in Lagos State will now have to have green area, especially with trees planted.

    This was the submission of the General Manager of the Lagos State Parks and Gardens (LASPARK), Mrs. Bilikiss Abiola. She spoke at the tree planting ceremony of a housing developer, Reliance Gardens, in Ajah, last week.

    According to the LASPARK boss, the agency will henceforth monitor all estates being developed in the state to ensure there is proper “green cover.” This, she further said, is now a huge aspect of housing.

    “We will be monitoring all estates in the state to ensure we have green cover. It is a huge aspect of housing. You don’t just put a building, you must ensure its greenery. Our ideal is to promote good living through greenery and we are determined to ensure a greener and healthier state with private sector organisation,” Abiola said.

    While praising the Reliance Gardens management for its efforts in greening of the state, Abiola revealed that the firm had earlier partnered with her agency to plant 700 coconut trees along the Lekki-Ajah expressway.

    She, therefore, urged other estate developers to ensure that they have green locations within their estate, because it has now become a very important component of any estate that is being developed to have a green area that is set aside for a park and garden for people living within that area to enjoy.

    Laspark, she further said, is committed to greening Lagos because “that is the only way we can secure the future of our children. If we don’t have greenery, a healthy and thriving ecosystem, it will directly affect our health and future of our children.”

    In a similar vein, the Head of Tree planting, Laspark, Mrs. Funke Dawodu, disclosed that the firm has always been a worthy partner of the agency. For instance, Dawodu revealed that Reliance Gardens collaborated with LASPARK on the school advocacy programme for the tree planting day celebration by branding school pupils for that day.

    She regrets that the several trees that have been felled in the past without replacing them is a key factor that has led to climate change. “Tree felling is a major reason for climate change. The importance of trees are numerous. Without trees we cannot survive. Trees supply us with oxygen,” Dawodu said.

    She also praised the firm for deeming it fit to approach LASPARK before commencing work on the construction of their estate especially knowing that some trees will be felled in the process of development.

    “They gave us a pledge that they would replace tress felled with multiples and today they are fulfilling their pledge. Please plant trees to commemorate events as it is a show of commitment to greenery, “ she admonished the audience.

    The Group Chief executive officer of Reliance Gardens, Mr. Kishin Wadhwani, said his firm is committed to ensuring that the environment remain habitable for mankind. Besides, he explained that as a responsible corporate citizen, laws of the state must be adhered to; hence, the reason for the partnership with the agency.

  • ‘My husband tied me to tree’

    A housewife, Fausat Akinola, has told a Grade `C’ Customary Court in Agodi, Ibadan that her husband of 15 years, Mr. Sarafa Akinola, tied her to a tree in front of their home.

    The woman, a mother of three, was giving evidence in a divorce suit filed by her husband.

    “My lord, I support the dissolution of our marriage because my husband tied me to a tree in our house.

    “There was a day he threw me inside a cesspit. I was rescued by a neighbour.

    “He treated me like a slave and was fond of beating me up whenever we quarrelled.

    “Dissolution of the marriage is a freedom from brutality. It will save me from untimely death. I’ve packed out of his home,” the respondent said.

    Sarafa told the court that Fausat was stubborn and disobedient.

    He said the respondent and his three children packed out of his home to an unknown destination without informing him.

    The petitioner implored the court to order the respondent to bring back the children so that he could take care of them.

    He denied tying her to a tree.

    “I did not throw her inside a cesspit,” Sarafa added.

    Delivering judgment, the President, Chief Mukaila Balogun, said there was no basis to deny the divorce request, since both parties had agreed to end the union.

    He dissolved the marriage and gave custody of the three children to the petitioner.

    Balogun said the evidence of the respondent showed she will not be able to take care of the children.

    He ordered the petitioner to take care of the children.

  • Rotary: Why we harp on tree planting

    Rotary: Why we harp on tree planting

    ROTARY International (RI) has explained why it harped on annual tree planting and made it a part of its core programmes the world over. Its District 9110 Governor Dr Wale Ogunbadejo said the group believed that humanity would suffer if the earth’s contents were not sustained.

    Speaking at a tree planting forum sponsored by the Gbagada South Club at the Oworoshoki School Complex in Lagos, Ogunbadejo said Rotary had foreseen a long time ago that unless the earth’s resources were replaced by greenery, the world would face a major crisis.

    Rotary Gbagada South President Ademola Olutusin said 33 trees were billed for planting at the event. He said RI has 1.2million members worldwide, adding that if they planted trees, they would make an impact. ‘’That means we would plant 1.2million trees. Every Rotarian must plant a tree to combat climate change,’’ he said.

  • Of BH, the axe and the tree

    What has the Boko Haram sect got to do with axe and even tree, you may ask? Axes of any sort are not the favorite weapons of the dreaded terror group that has held Nigeria by the sac since 2009. The axe must represent a cumbersome instrument of warfare for them because it has never featured in their profile all these years.

    Of course they are most famous for the now infamous IEDs(Improvised Explosive Device). In fact, the BH may have invented that crude instrument of mutual annihilation the way they have churned out and deploy them with maniacal fury. In fact for the IEDs, the BH would have been truly, technically and roundly defeated. As far as conventional arsenal of warfare like firearms, ammunition and tanks is concerned the war is virtually over for the sect.

    So does Hardball per chance suggest that the BH may be resorting to the use of axes? Not by any chance. The logic here is pithier and less lineal than that.

    Now let us back track a little. Recently, the BH stated acting up seriously once again, almost over running the University of Maiduguri in Borno State and recording high casualty rates of civilians and soldiers. This warranted Acting President Yemi Osinbajo ordering service chiefs to return to the battle fronts.

    Following upon that, the United States Department of State in its 2016 Country Reports on Terrorism recently, had sharp criticism of the federal government’s approach to the terror war against Boko Haram.

    According to the report, the Nigerian military failed to restore security in territories recaptured from Boko Haram in 2016. It notes that there was no evidence of the implementation of a coordinated plan to that effect. The report states further that though the federal government had in partnership with international donors set up several institutions to coordinate the reconstruction of areas destroyed by the insurgency, it was doubtful that this was done last year.

    This heavy indictment would not come as a surprise to Hardball considering the recent resurgence of BH and some dreadful antecedents of our military. And this is where the parable of the axe and the tree plays out.

    We have seen security advisers and defence chiefs divert funds and resources meant for prosecuting the terror war; we have witnessed the BH over-running towns and villages in the northeast, planting their flags on Nigeria’s soil while military top brass sat in obscene opulence in Abuja, tending their verdant tummies instead of managing the war efforts.

    Are these scenarios being reenacted? Why the current upsurge in the terror attacks in spite of consistent huge defence budget? This is a wake-up call for Nigerians to be more vigilant and ensure that people are not profiting from this war again at our expense.

    Moral of the tale:    It is only a tree that stands still when an axe is raised to cut it down.

  • ‘Tree planting prevents disasters’

    ‘Tree planting prevents disasters’

    The Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has urged Lagosians to support the state’s campaigns for tree planting.

    The Governor spoke at this year’s tree planting day, organised by the Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA), and held at Ajidagan Nursery and Primary School, Bariga Lagos.

    The event with its theme ‘Lend a hand to save trees’, was part of the state’s plan to plant 10miilion trees by 2020.

    Ambode, who was represented by the Science and Technology Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr Fola Padonu, said tree planting was not just aimed at beautifying the environment, but also to prevent pollution, flooding, increased biodiversity, among others.

    He said it was imperative for corporate organisations, schools, offices and individuals to continue to planttrees yearly.

    The Council’s Sole Administrator Prince Sanya Osijo said the maiden tree planting in Lagos was in 2008 aimed at, among others, protecting the environment against pollution and flooding.

    The Council boss said trees also provide aesthetics, oxidation and nutrition in food and medicine. ‘’They soothe the Ozone layer and reduce the depletion of the earth’s surface,’’ saying they also provide shades for humanity.

    He urged Lagosians to join the tree-planting campaign to enable the government fulfil its mission, adding that over six million trees have been planted in the state.

    He thanked LASPARK for sustaining the campaign, adding that through their efforts many Lagosians, especially youths, have been keyed into the project.

     

  • Lagos sets July 14 as tree planting day

    The Lagos State Government has set aside July 14 as its yearly Tree Planting Day.

    Environment Commissioner Dr Samuel Adejare, who spoke at the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARKS) seminar for the informal sector, said it is part of a wider programme of the government to rehabilitate the environment and address global warming.

    With the theme Impact of Tree Planting on Human Existence, it was held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, earlier in the week.

    He highlighted the important role the informal sector plays in championing tree planting in the state and urged them to support the government on it.

    Adejare said: “It is worthy to note satisfactorily, the significant roles the informal sector played in championing the tree planting course. The members of the Taxi Drivers Association of Nigeria; CDAs (Community Development Authorities); CDCs (Community Development Councils); NGOs (non-governmental organisations); market men and women have really impressed me with the adorning of their parks across the state. They have played significant roles to ensure the success of Tree Planting initiatives across the state.”

    He noted that their support for the state’s tree planting programmes was yielding results, as “other states are now coming to find out how they can replicate this innovation in their respective states with the support of their informal sector”.

    Stressing the need for tree planting, the commissioner said: “Trees contribute to the environment by providing oxygen, improving air quality, climate amelioration, conserving water, preserving soil and supporting wildlife… the main reason we need trees is because they are beautiful gift as nature is and act as natural filters. No two trees are ever alike… Even individual trees vary in appearance throughout the course of the year as the season changes. Most of us react to the presence of trees with a pleasant, relaxed and comfortable feeling. In fact, many plant trees as a living memorial of life changing events.

    “It is for this and several other reasons to enhance human existence that the Lagos State government has set aside a day, specifically July 14th of every year, for the commemoration of tree planting day.”

    Adejare appealed to stakeholders to partner government in its quest to realise its dream of enhancing human existence through a green environment.

    Welcoming participants to the seminar, LASPARKS General Manager Mrs. Abimbola Jijoho-Ogun stressed the place of trees in a thriving environment.

    She listed the benefits of trees to human existence to include prevention of urban heat and climate regulation; pollution control from industrial activities; chemical substances; exhaust fumes. Noise pollution in overcrowded cities are reduced by the number of trees planted as the trees serve as sound breakers; and increase property value, as greenery, which make for aesthetically pleasing areas, attract investors.

    One of the guest lecturers at the seminar, Dr. Saka Jimoh of the Department of Forest Resources Management, University of Ibadan, explained why trees should not be harmed in a short poem.

    He said if trees could speak, they would say: “Ye, who would pass and raise your hand against me, hearken ere you harm me; I am the heat of your heart on the cold winter nights; the friendly shade screening you from the summer sun; and my fruits are refreshing draughts; quenching your thirst as you journey on; I am the beam that holds your house; the board of your table, the bed on which you lie; and the timber that builds your boats; I am the handle of your hoe and the door of your homestead; the wood of your cradle and the shell of your coffin; I am the gift of God and the friend of Man; Ye who pass by, listen to my prayer; Harm Me Not!”

  • Boost tree planting culture, Ambode tells AOCOED

    Boost tree planting culture, Ambode tells AOCOED

    LAGOS  State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has called on Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED) Oto/ Ijanikin, Lagos to improve on the culture of tree planting to restore the dignity of the earth.

    Tree planting, Ambode said, remains the cheapest and simplest option for tackling challenges of climate change and its effects on lives.

    Ambode made this appeal at the AOCOED Eighth Tree Planting with the theme: ‘Tree: The lungs of the earth’.

    Ambode, represented by a member, Lagos House of Assembly,  (Apapa Constituency 1) Toyin Lisbat Lawal, said his administration is committed to the preservation of the environment and mitigation of global warming through tree planting.

    Lisbat said the state has planted about 5.9 million trees since its inception in 2008 through the Lagos State Parks and Garden Agency (LASPAK), adding that the agency aims at planting additional 10 million trees in the next five years, thus providing jobs for the ever-teeming unemployed youths and professionals across the state.

    “For every tree  removed, at least five must be planted. This tree planting exercise is taking place in over 180 locations comprising the 20 local government areas and the 37 local council development areas and other designated sites within the state,” she said.

    The Provost of the college, Mr. Bashorun Wasiu Olalekan , said over the years, tree planting has been discovered to be the cheapest mitigation option and the world’s largest most expensive means of drawing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, cleansing the air and protecting the environment against flooding and coastal erosion.

    Basorun, who was represented by his deputy, Mr. Wole Ajose, said: “We in AOCOED community, we have developed the habits of tree planting, which also marked our special occasions and ceremonies. Our college is full of trees, to the extent that we were recognised at the state level as one of the recipients of last year’s Best Nurtured Tree Award (Institution category) from the immediate past governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, (SAN).

    Bashorun added that AOCOED students were reaping the benefits of trees planted in the previous year, adding that the students now sit on the seats constructed under the shade of the trees, to have group discussions or relax during free periods.

    “Our college is going to step up the pace of tree planting such that no other parastatal in Lagos State shall beat us to it. We want to be recommended by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, for similar awards in many years to come,” he said

    Earlier in his welcome address, the state Ministry of the Environment represented by Mr. Seyi Adetunji, noted that trees help to turn carbon dioxide into animal food. He added that tree planting stems the tide of environmental degradation, complement the land scalping and beautification of the state.

    AOCOED’s Registrar, Mr. Olumuyiwa Coker, in his goodwill speech, said  tree planting had become a tradition in the state. He called on all to celebrate tree planting and ensure that trees were planted for a better, cooler and healthier Lagos.

    Coker represented by his deputy Mr. Adegboyega I. Adetayo, enjoined other stakeholders in the state to  appreciate other policies and ground- breaking initiatives being embarked upon by the government to provide a healthier, better and prosperous Lagos for the benefit of all.

    The Chairman, AOCOED Tree Planting exercise, Mr. Anthony Hontonyon, enumerated processes involved in tree planting, such as holistic observation of the environment, a distance of about 30 feet from an electric pole or a building, careful nursery stage, and good seedling among others.

  • Tree’s fall scares students

    There was pandemonium in Adekunle Fajuyi Hall, a male hostel in the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, when a giant tree in the hall fell.

    Students residing in the hostel scampered for safety when branches of the tree ripped through a wall of the hostel before it fell where the hostel’s reservoirs were located.

    Though nobody was injured, the incident shocked students, who witnessed the scene. It almost stirred an uproar as a Law student in the hall pointed fingers at the hall management. A supervisor in the hall told CAMPUSLIFE that the tree was supposed to be felled the following day.

    “When I assumed duty over a year ago and I saw the state of the trees and how hazardous they could be to the structures of the hall, I wrote a letter to the Parks and Gardens Department of the university. We were given approval to cut the trees considered injurious to residents of the hall,” he explained.

    Responding to an allegation of negligence by students, the supervisor described the incident as nothing short of a natural disaster.

    He said: “Natural disasters are mostly inevitable and uncontrollable. We should give thanks to God that no one sustained any injury and no life was lost.” He, however, promised to see to the repair of the water pipes affected by the crash.”

     

  •  How woman predicted fall of Imo ‘mystery’ tree

     How woman predicted fall of Imo ‘mystery’ tree

    UNTIL the sudden fall of the ancestral tree in Umudagu Mbieri, Mbaitoli Local Government of Imo State, which left no fewer than 31 people dead and several others injured, not many knew the history and its mystical powers.

    It was also gathered that a mentally ill woman who lives around the market had gone around shouting that the tree was about to fall, two days before it fell.

    The magnificent tree known as ‘Ukwu Uko’, which stands about 100 feet tall and occupies a radius of about 200cm, was said to be over 300 years and worshipped by the community.

    It was said that the tree was planted by the founders of the Umudagu community as the deity in charge of destiny.

    The tree was also the symbol of unity for indigenes, who often converge under its shade to settle intra-communal crisis.

    The tree, according to some of its devotees, has the power to determine or influence the destiny of indigenes.

    Devoted worship of the tree was rewarded with bright destiny, it was also learnt.

    The advent of Christianity affected idolatory in the community, leaving only the elders and a few youths as worshippers.

    In its hey days, the tree was held in awe, such that no one broke its many rules, which forbade women observing their menstrual cycle and slaves from coming under its shade.

    Up till its disastrous fall, the villagers believed no one with evil medicine or powers can cross the tree and stay alive.

    With the passage of time, market women started buying and selling under the tree, which gave birth to the ‘Ukwu Uko’ market, a popular evening market in the community.

    But aside from commerce, the tree also provided serene environment for all forms of religious and social gatherings.

    A cleric, who craved anonymity, said: “The tree is a harbinger of evil but the elders who are deep into idol worship will not allow it to be cut down even when it became a threat to the lives of market women and other people who come to the ‘Ukwu Uko market”.

    He said the disaster had been foretold but the adamant elders ignored all warnings.

    He accused them of threatening to unleash the powers of the deity against any person or group that may attempt to cut down the three.

    Also testifying to the mystical powers, a respected leader in the community, Izu Nwaobi, said indigenes were afraid to cut down the tree because of an incident in 1992.

    Nwaobi recalled that the former head of the community hired two people to cut some branches of the tree, which were about to fall down but the two people died mysteriously two days later.

    “After then, no one has ever raised any object against the tree or contemplated cutting it down.

    “Even the youths could not for fear of spiritual attacks,” he stated.

    Governor Rochas Okorocha, who visited the community with Deputy Governor Eze Madumere, called for the compilation of the list and vital information of the victims.

    He assured that the state will provide financial and material assistance to the relations of the victims.

    Okorocha, who was shocked by the level of devastation caused by the calamity, urged other communities who have similar trees to cut them down.

    He regretted that several demands and warnings by people about the risks posed by the tree were ignored by elders over superstitious beliefs.

     Madumere, who is from the community, said:  ”I am devastated and it is a rude shock to me. How would the families of the victims feel?

    “It is wholly a calamity. I pray for God’s intervention and to grant all of us the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss”.

    The deputy governor, who cut short his official trip to Abuja, regretted that the unfortunate incident should have been avoided if the community had heeded warnings to cut down the tree.