12 September 2008
Senator Adamu Garba Talba (PDP, Yobe South ) has advocated for the establishment of a National Desert Commission to tackle the threat of desertification and desert encroachment in the northern part of the country.
Speaking with news men in Abuja, Sen Talba said the upper legislative chamber was trying to formulate some bills to be passed into law aimed at addressing the ecological and environmental problems in the country. 'We are really concerned about it. In the north, Yobe State is the most hit by desertification that is why I and Senator Ahmed Lawan representing Yobe north collaborated and initiated a bill that will pave the way for the establishment of a National Desert Commission. The bill has passed through the first reading and when the commission is established it will go way in addressing or talking desertification in the north." he said.
He pointed out that the commission would not defend on government grant alone but would also receive grant from donor agencies such as the United Nations Development Programme {UNDP} for it to function properly and carry out its duties effectively. He said the act establishing the commission would prohibit indiscriminate felling of trees and provide for serious penalty for offenders. "However, we are not unmindful of the fact we lack energy for cooking. Our people in the villages especially in the north have nothing to use for cooking except fire wood because of poverty and high cost of kerosene and Gas. So they have to fell trees to survive. When I was a little boy, that was what I saw and uptil now that is what is happening. The issue is that our villagers will never stop felling trees until something is done on prices of kerosene and Gas. For some of them it is an economic means of survival. They fall trees and sell it to survive, by so doing they make money to feed themselves and their family.' He added.
While arguing that it is very important for government to formulate laws that will stop felling of trees, Talba maintained that the people need to be provided with an alternative, accessible and affordable energy that will replace firewood. "As it is, the price of kerosene is very high and it is the commonest cooking energy for our people in the villages but now the price is so high that they cannot afford to buy it. So they have to resort to using firewood. Unless this is addressed we cannot completely stop felling of trees" he argued. Senator Talba said that the current food crisis can be attributed to felling of trees because according to him as people fell trees desert encroaches which leads to low rainfall and ultimately a poor harvest.
The Senator also accused previous state governors for wasting money meant for ecological founds or diverting it for their personal use which is why there is no impact as green belts cannot be seen in any of the northern states despite the fact that they receive ecological found grant from the federation account every month
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