By; BALA B. BITRUS, Minna
Growing concerns over worsening environmental impacts from desertification and tree felling from activities of wood merchants and other persons who fell trees for fuel, charcoal, logs and other household uses has elicited the attention of the Niger state House of Assembly as it commenced process for a law against indescrinate tree felling across the state.
Tagged a bill for a law for the prohibition of indescrinate felling of trees and for connected purposes 2017, the bill got through for a second reading as it was okayed for the relevant committee of the House for proper deliberations and scrutiny.
The bill seeks to have a law enacted and passed to check the reckless activities of persons who are into tree felling for fuel wood/charcoal making/selling business, wood merchants and related activities.
Member representing Kagara constituency at the House, Danlami Bako advised that the bill be forwarded promptly to the appropriate House Committee to be handled.
Speaker of the House, Hon. Ahmed Marafa while directing the bill to be forwarded to the House Committee on Forest Resources Management and Environment, said the committee should work on it and return the bill to the general committee of the House on the 25th of next month at plenary.
Though the state has had forest vanguards during the last administration in the state, they have largely been ineffectual and moribund no sooner than they were created as tree felling for wood logging and charcoal sell business have continued to thrive in the state.
In many parts of the state, bags of charcoal pyramids are common sights even though the practice of tree felling is supposed to have been checked by Forestry Vanguards recruited by the last administration in the state.
A jut bag of charcoal used as fuel wood for cooking sold in the open goes for between =N=1,100 to =N=1,200. Retailers of the commodity which is now a brisk business, sell a paper bag filled with charcoal at between =N=100 to =N=150.
At the inception of the now defunct Forestry Vanguards, the charcoal business was a risky adventure as those involved were arrested and prosecuted.
But that has since become history while tree felling continues even with alacrity.
The new bill, if it sails through, may reenact the more effective legislation against tree felling which is the source for the charcoal sell business, logging for wood merchants business and whose consequences are desertification, environmental degradation and poverty.
