End indiscriminate felling of economic trees, Sani-Bello tells FG
Saka Bolaji, Minna
The federal government has been called upon to intervene in curbing the incessant and indiscriminate felling of economic tress across the country, warning of the imminent environmental disaster that awaits the country.
Gov. Abubakar Sani-Bello of Niger state made this call when he paid a visit to the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chief Audu Ogbeh in his office in Abuja.
The governor noted that the felling of trees which cut across the country would in no distant time lead to environmental threats to both humans and animals, hence the need for the matter to be discussed at the federal executive council level.
He said his administration has already put in place measures to address the illegal and indiscriminate felling of economic trees across the state through a task force empowered to effect arrest and prosecution of those engaged in such act.
“If we allow the rate at which these economic trees are being felled indiscriminately to go unchecked, we may be having in our hands serious environmental crisis for the country.
The sad thing is, they fell these trees without replanting new ones. This uncharitable act exposes the country to desert encroachment and a serious distortion in our rainfall pattern.
“That is why in Niger state, we have a law that prohibits tree felling. We have resolved to arrest and prosecute those involved in this act, especially those felling our economic trees for charcoal business.
“The state government will not fold its arms and allow people to endanger the environment.
The importance of these trees are too enormous to man and animal. If we continue in this act of deforestation, it will result to global warming which will endanger our lives,” he warned.
Gov. Sani-Bello then urged the federal government to provide communities with seedlings for planting of trees across states so as to avert environmental hazards in the nearest future.
In his remarks, the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chief Audu Ogbeh assured the governor that the matter would be presented both at the federal executive council meeting and the national economic council meeting so as to enable all the governors take action .
The minister also assured the provision of seedlings to communities to plant trees so as to serve as an option to felling of economic trees across the country.
