… set to clampdown of Charcoal Dealers

By Abdul Momoh

The Kwara State Government has reiterated its commitment to protect it’s forestry from the hands of allien who have polarized forest activities in the state.

Speaking on this development, the State Commisioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Architect Aliyu Mohammed Saifudeen stated this during a briefing with newsmen in his office, recently.

According to him,’ the illegal activities of foreigners in the State has come to the state’s notice and was to take action on it.

“Yes, am aware of it. In fact, it beyond allegation now. I have told them clearly that we are going to fight it to the letter.

“The worry of it is that these people from other countries also have trees but want to damage our economy.

We should be responsible enough to know that this is wrong. We are set to embark on afforestation in the state, no thanks to Covid-19 which has hampered us,” he said.

Saifudeen added that one of the biggest challenges his ministry met on ground was how to maintain the state’s bio-diversity.

“This Ministry has to do with how to maintain our bio-diversity. We have to keep the forest intact. So that was a big challenge to us.

“When we came in, the forest was foil of all activities as we need to raid the forest off all illegal activities which include illegal timbering and charcoal in particular.

“Up till this moment we are still battling. So we had to close the forest for a whole one week. Though there were outcries from different quarters. In fact, that decision was adjudged one that has impact in the recent time.”

Reacting to whether the Kwara State Government has in place a coherent policy on afforestation and deforestation, the commissioner said it is not a matter of policy in place, rather the compliance by the people.

“You see, it is not a matter of policy in place or not. We have more than enough policies onground. There are laws governing forest activities and harvesting of forest products, but people don’t obey these laws.

“For instance, in Kwara State since 2005, there is a law of the State House of Assembly that ban the outright storage, production of charcoal. Before we came in, you see charcoal flooded the state.

“But now, these people knew their doing that at their own peril. Because if you are arrested, the law will take it course under my watch. I have an approval from the Governor to enforce the law that ban charcoal production, and we will do that to the letter. No going back”, he stressed.

He further added that the clampdown on Charcoal Dealers in the state has already taking effect, as the ministry had issued letter to all the stakeholders.

“We’ve started to sensitize the people. In fact, just last week, we wrote letters to all the stakeholders in this matter. We told them that this thing remain banned. Very soon we are going to set up a task force that can bite,” he concluded.