Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has charged citizens and residents of the state on protection and preservation of the environment for a sustainable future.
   
Obaseki gave the charge when he received the Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning, Isoken Omo, members of the ministry, environmentalists and school children, who embarked on an 8.5km walk to mark the 2023 World Habitat Day.
   
The walk kicked off from the state Secretariat, Sapele Road, through Ring Road, to Oba Market, Siluko Road, Oliya Market, Akenzua, Airport Road and terminated at the Government House, Benin City.
   
While receiving them, the governor charged parents to plant trees for their children to celebrate their birthdays, noting that if one million children plant trees in a year, the state would have successfully planted one million trees.
   
He added: “We need to clean, green and restore the environment to how God has created it or else, we, our children and those that will succeed us on earth will suffer from our negligence.
  
“I want to congratulate all that have been able to complete the 8.5km walk, as the significance of the walk is to let people know how important and significant the habitat is to mankind. We must make the habitat and environment sustainable for us.”
   
“We all have seen what is going on, particularly with climate change. There is no greater evidence to show or let us know that we can’t take our habitat and environment for granted. With the negligence of our land and environment, you see what we are going through in terms of flood, erosion, and landslide. We need to do something urgently to save it, or very soon it will be difficult for us to live in. Our continued deforestation will cause our rainforest to become savannah.