Environmental stakeholders advocate border closure to curtail cutting down trees
By Muhammad Babayo ASHA
Stakeholders at a one day engagement on environmental policies and practices in Bauchi state have advocate state border closure to prevent people coming from other states to carry out charcoal and timber business.
The stakeholders engagement organized by Sharing Education and Learning for Life SELL Foundation Nigeria drew participants from environmental related MDAs, the academia, media, CSOs, NGOs to brainstorm on environment and climate change overview.
Leading the panel discussion the Director General Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency BASEPA Dr Kabir Ibrahim said the menace of cutting down trees for charcoal and timber is in increase hence to enforce heavy sanction on anyone found wanting.
” It’s deshearthen to trucks loaded with timber and charcoal being transported out of the state on daily basis” Dr Kabir lamented.
Dr Kabir Ibrahim stressed the need for al stakeholders and agencies saddled with the responsibility of protecting the environment to champion the course of forest management.
He noted that most of the people engaged charcoal and timber business are from the neighbouring states hence a proactive measure to curtail the trend.
Earlier the Project Coodinator Mr Beji Benjamin Jibe who highlighted activities of the Foundation enjoined participants to always help in saveguarding the environment from destruction.
“…SELL Foundation offers services on leadership, justice and peace building, ecology or care for earth,community capacity building, human development, entrepreneurship, conflict resolution, teachers and social workers training among others” Beji said.
Highlights of the event was questions and answer session and presentation of communique.
