Niger State government is putting final touches to a policy to protect the environment and has approved the constitution of a new Special Task Force to fight deforestation in the state.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Mr. Lucky Barau disclosed this while briefing the press at the Government House in Minna, the state capital.
He said the establishment of the task force team, code named “Crack Team”, became necessary as a result of the incessant felling of trees for commercial charcoal production across the state which, he said, will, in no distant time, lead to environmental and health hazards to the state and its people.
“We will then get our people to plant fast growing trees where many have been felled in the past, and make it an idea for each member of a family to plant at least one tree in a year for some years. In no distant future we would have rebuilt our forests in the state for our children and their own children after them. Even other elements, like animals, in the ecosystem will be happy for it As we do this, also, we will encourage many, even in the rural areas, to embrace using gas and other means to cook by making them easily affordable. It may take time, but it is doable,” he added.
Mr. Lucky Barau said ‘the Crack Team’ has been approved for each Zone of the state to comprise about two or three persons in all the local government areas in the state, to enable easy interception of illegal and commercial charcoal producers at every point within the state.
“Niger state is today ranked the highest producer of charcoal in commercial quantity which is not only consumed within the state but is also exported to neighboring countries. This is done at the detriment of the state and the future generation.
“It is robbing the future generation of the benefit it will have from natural resources,” he asserted.
Mr. Barau said the state government, on its own part, is making arrangements to massively embark on planting of trees across the state as it has received about 1.7 million seedlings from the Forest Research Institute of Nigeria .
He disclosed that the state government has banned charcoal production in the state as discussions are on with briquette producers to provide alternative for the people.
The Permanent Secretary, then, warned that anyone caught or linked with activities of charcoal production in the state will face the wrath of the law.
Explaining further on the ban of the use of charcoal in the State, the Office of the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor said the State government will ensure adequate sensitization of people on the danger of felling of trees, the use of charcoal for cooking and the need to embrace the use of briquette as alternative to charcoal which will precede the enforcement of the ban.