The green carnival is business —Gov Benedict Ayade

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31 July 2019 
His Excellency the Executive Governor of Cross River State, Sen. Prof. Benedict Ayade, Tuesday disclosed that he construes the Cross River Green Carnival as business contrary to popular perception that it is a mere carnival NEGROIDHAVEN can say authoritatively. 
The State Governor who disclosed that he will be budgeting the sum of five hundred million naira (N500, 000, 000) for the 2020 edition of the event said that the state government had to go as far as Benue and Abia to source for the palm seedlings. 
Ayade said that he expects every young person in the state to own a nursery from which they will make money during the 2020 edition. According to him, government will patronise them instead of going to Benue and Abia. 
'I know you look at this as a carnival, but I look at it like a business because by next year, every young resident of Cross River is expected to have a small nursery because they know the carnival is coming and we will need the trees.
'We had to go to all the nursery farms from Benue to Abia, to be able to get the number of seedlings we have here today.
'So if you know you are interested in making money out of that N500 million, you better start owning your own nursery, so that we can come to you and buy. As young people you have the opportunity to do business with the state,” he said.
According to NAN, the Gov is reported as saying that the active cultivation of young trees is very critical for carbon dioxide assimilation and makes Cross River, the head quarters of the absorption of the deadly gas in the atmosphere.

Ayade said that with the planting of one million trees, the state could go before the international community and Federal Government to ask for Green Bond for a financial reward.

'You must note that Cross River has over 58 per cent of the entire forest cover of the country and our plan is to achieve 68 per cent. So we can go to the international community and ask for a Green Bond.

'We will tell the world that we are indeed planting one million trees as a justification to support the deforestation process for construction of the super highway and industrial farms that are yet to come.

'You cannot create a farm without causing deforestation,' he said

The 2019 Green Carnival with the theme: 'Calabar Green Canopy Scheme' had a budget of N100, 000, 000. 
The Cross River Green Carnival is an annual event that usually holds annually in December. According to News Agency of Nigeria, NAN this is the first time the event has held in July and part of the event is the 2019 carnival and planting of one million trees in the 18 local government areas of the State.