Abuja – Some environmental experts on Tuesday called on the National and State Assemblies to enact laws with stiffer penalties to check indiscriminate cutting down of trees in the country.
Some of them who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, observed that “massive” deforestation had contributed to the negative effects of climate change on the environment and human health.
Mr Ahmed Yahaya, the Coordinator, Association for Renewable Energy, advised the Federal Government to devise a strategy to encourage afforestation.
“Flooding is something that has been ongoing and other effects of climate change are not left out either. We are deforesting everywhere and government must look at this critically.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
“The government should have a long-term strategy or project to encourage afforestation in order to fight climate change.
“The National Assembly should make stiffer legislation to stop massive deforestation. Government at all levels must support and key into alternative sources of energy,’’ he said.
In a separate interview, Mr Rufai Usman, the Director of Africa Desertification Control Initiative, an NGO, called for improved tree planting, especially in the northern part of the country.
“Environmental protection is very necessary, especially at this time. The agency in charge of tree planting must step up efforts to plant trees, especially in the north where insurgency has destroyed trees.
“There are lots of issues on climate change.
“We have a legislation that should be strengthened to ensure that activities that we undertake to increase the emission of greenhouse gases causing climate change are addressed.”
Usman expressed concern that citizens were not being properly sensitised to the advantages of effective management of the environment.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director, Oji Environmental Services, Mr Christian Ihenacho, also appealed to government to initiate policy and create the enabling environment for the private sector to participate in the management of the environment.
“The law enforcement agencies should also be mobilised to arrest anyone found cutting down trees.
“We need a national policy to promote the environment. If someone knows that he or she will be jailed when he cuts down trees, he will hesitate to do so,’’ Ihenacho said.
An Abuja-based Human Rights Activist, Mrs Nnenna Igho, also advocated the prosecution of those involved in massive deforestation. (NAN)