Politics
DISTURBED by growing deforestation, occasioned by the felling of trees, the Adamawa government has banned cutting and conversion of live trees into charcoals and firewood.
The Director Forestry in the Ministry of Environment, Mrs Sarah Gundiri, made this known during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Yola.
Gundiri said that the activities of charcoal and firewood dealers were threatening the existence of gazetted and non-gazetted forest reserves in the state.
“The activities of firewood and charcoal dealers have increased by 80 percent due to population growth and increase in demand for energy by households and factories.
“On yearly basis, millions of trees are being cut across the state by firewood and charcoal merchants without replacement.
“Following the indiscriminate felling of trees, the state government has now banned the cutting of live tree species for any business activity,” Gundiri said.
She expressed concern that the state was losing its natural vegetation and experiencing rapid desertification due to a high level of deforestation activities.
Gundiri noted that the state’s 19 gazetted forest reserves had been grossly affected by activities of the charcoal and firewood merchants.
She warned the merchants to desist from felling trees for firewood, adding that anybody caught with such illegal activities would be made to face the wrath of the law.
Reacting to the development, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa, Chairman, Amalgamated Union of Charcoal and Firewood Sellers in the state, said that the union was aware of the ban.
Inuwa, however, said that it would be very difficult for the less-privileged, the majority of whom, he said, used charcoal and firewood to stop using those items divert to gas or electricity for their households needs.
“We are aware of the ban on cutting of live tree species by the state.
“In fact, we have sensitized our members to avoid cutting the trees. Instead, we have been encouraging them to go after dry ones,” Inuwa said. (NAN)
Feb. 24, 2021 @ 17:45 GMT
Tags: Adamawa govt. bans firewood merchants from felling live trees
