11th March, 2017
Traditional rulers in Kaduna State on Saturday moved against indiscriminate felling of trees in rural areas.
At the end of a six-day workshop organised by the state office of the National Orientation Agency and UNICEF in Kachia, the traditional rulers observed that tree-felling would predispose communities to environmental hazard.
They called on the Kaduna State Government to monitor the activities of forest guards to stop tree-felling.
They pointed out the need for traditional rulers to promote planting of trees in their localities to protect the environments and provide forest resources.
According to them, their involvement becomes necessary to replenish tress illegally exploited, thereby making their environment vulnerable.
One of them, Mr Bulus Ejim, District Head of Bade Nyankpah Chiefdom, Jema’a Local Government Area described the development as worrisome, adding that traditional ruler must stand up and defend their environment.
Ejim disclosed that trees in the forest within his district had been completely cut down by unknown persons, saying that nothing was left for the unborn generation.
Adamu Turaki, District Head of Nwoh, Gong Chiefdom, also from Jema’a Local Government Area, said desertification must be prevented at all cost.
“Our parents plant the trees that we are legally or illegally cutting down, if we do not start planting to replenish the once we have exploited, our children would ask us some day,’’ he said.
Mr Dominic Ali, Village Head of Takum, Fanstwam Chiefdom Jema’a Local Government Area, noted that trees planted during government tree campaigns did not survive because people in the benefiting areas did not take ownership of such projects.
He, therefore, called on the traditional leaders take ownership of such project by ensuring that more trees were planted and protected.
No fewer than 150 traditional rulers attended the workshop organised to enlist their support in propagating essential family practices to curb infant and maternal deaths.