The Ondo State government and the Goodwill Ambassador for Environment have presented tree seedlings and extinction artwork to the National Museum, Owo, and the palace of Olowo in the Owo Local Government Area of the State.

The Ambassador for Environment, Ms Olapeju Olayemi, the acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Mr Olumide Kinga, and former Commissioner for Environment, Dr Funso Esan, gave the items as part of activities to celebrate this year’s Valentine’s Day.

The tree planting event and the presentation of the priceless environmentally friendly artwork titled “Extinction” or “L’Extinction” to the National Museum, Owo was received at Olowo’s palace by the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye.

In her speech, Olapeju said the Ondo State Ministry of Environment wanted to use the podium of Valentine’s week to positively impact the environment.

She said the love for the environment is essential to human sustenance, and she wanted to encourage the public
to profess their love through tree planting and reduce the carbon emissions that we accumulate on the planet for Valentine’s celebration.

She explained that the priceless environmentally friendly artwork, titled Extinction or L’Extinction, was donated to the National Museum Owo and was produced by Ms. Olayemi Olapeju, Charles Olulaja Akeredolu, and Mrs Bolajoko Taiwo Ayeni from thorns of tree that late famed artist, Chief J. D. Akeredolu, invented for thorn carving in the 1930s.

Her words “We planted trees before embarking on donating the extinction artwork today to demonstrate that we must plant trees to stop the extinction of trees in our forest and to rewrite the history of Valentine’s gifts by motivating the public to plant trees as Valentine’s gift instead of giving out non-biodegradable gift items to their partners which have damaging environmental impacts.”

Olapeju, who is also an artist, said that it was disheartening that people removed trees without replacement, which could consume humanity.

Her words “We created this artwork to enable people to know that you don’t have to cut down a whole tree to do wood carving. You can remove a thorn from a tree to do your artwork.

“ This work is called priceless and is rare because the tree thorn materials used have gone extinct. The thorns grow from a wild cotton tree, but we can’t find them again in the forest.”

Kinga called on the public globally to show love for the environment, which is on the verge of mass extinction, and to resuscitate the art of thorn carving as well as the conservation of the endangered African Forest Elephant which is at the brink of disappearing from Idanre forest in Ondo State of Nigeria and others Africa forests.

Esan, a former Commissioner for Environment in Ondo State, who disclosed that L’Extinction artwork is very expensive, appreciated the trio artists for donating a multi-million Naira worth of artwork to the museum and that it will be in the record and history to bring back Love For The Environment.

His words “I want everyone globally to join us today in promoting Love For The Environment, which is on the verge of Mass Extinction.”

Mr Charles Olulaja Akeredolu, son of late artist JD Akeredolu, thanked the museum for the proper conservation of his late father’s artists, which has become very rare, and told them that L’Extinction artwork was donated to the museum to resuscitate his father’s invention of thorn carving in the 1930s.

Akeredolu said “The art of thorn carving that my father invented in the 1930s has the unique attribute of being the highest level of greenness in wood carving, as only the thorns are removed from the trees for carving while the tree still stands to support the ecosystem.

“L’Extinction artwork is very rare as it took four years to gather the thorns used to produce 12 versions, so displaying the history of the artwork in the museum will educate the public about saying no to illegal tree logging.”

Oba Ogunoye, the paramount ruler of Owo, in his speech, said the mission of preservation of the environment should be an utmost priority to all.

The traditional ruler commended artist Charles Olulaja Akeredolu, son of the late great Nigeria contemporary artist J. D. Akeredolu, and the team that the artwork speaks of the yearning for protection of the environment.

Oba Ogunoye promised that the Olowo Palace would continue within its capacity to do the needful in the preservation of the environment.

While receiving L’Extinction artwork, the curator of the National Museum Owo, Mr Ogbu Augustine, thanked the creators of the artwork and said that it would be displayed for the public to view and for posterity.