TheCable

Abba Yusuf, the Kano governor, has warned residents against indiscriminate logging, while flagging off this year’s tree-planting campaign in the state.

He said anyone found cutting trees without approval from the ministry of environment and climate change would face the full wrath of the law.

The governor explained that the campaign, which is scheduled to last for two weeks, would cover Amana City, Kwankwasiyya City, State Road, Ahmadu Bello Way, Hadejia Road, Gwammaja Layin Bukar Makoda to Masaka Primary School, Unguwar Dabai and Chalawa Industrial area.

Others are the GGSS Jambaki/Bela Erosion site, School of Health Technology, Kano; and GGSS Kuka Bulukiya.

He said seedlings would be distributed to communities, institutions, schools, religious groups, student unions and worship centres, among other public places.

“Let me reiterate that our administration has been giving priority to the environmental sector especially on the issues of biodiversity conservation, restoration of degraded lands, addressing climate change issues,” he said.

“Fighting the menace of desertification and desert encroachment, pollution control, environmental sanitation, prevention of flooding, erosion prevention and control, among others.

“Some of the interventions and programmes put in place to address aforementioned challenges by my administration include the sustained support to Sustainable Kano Project (SKP) and Kano State Afforestation Project (KNAP).

“This is with a view to ensuring the provision of sustainable social development to the doorsteps of the citizenry as well as promoting the planting of more trees and management of forestry plantations across the state.”

He tasked the ministry of environment and climate change to step up efforts in sensitising stakeholders on the importance of tree planting.

Nasiru Garo, the state commissioner for environment and climate change, said the event was aimed at reducing soil erosion, climate change and enhancing biodiversity.

“As we may already know, human activities such as bush burning, illegal felling of trees is continuously putting pressure on the already fragile ecosystem, thereby threatening food security, among other negative climate impacts,” he said.

“Every piece of nature is significant in some way and contributes equally to keeping the ecosystem balanced.

“One of the most important of all these natural items is the ‘Tree’, which offers us numerous advantages.

“Trees are carbon sinks that play the role of storing carbon dioxide in their roots, woods and leaves.

“Carbon dioxide and oxygen are exchanged in a whole cycle in plants.

“Thus, more tree planting would aid in lowering the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide.

“The more trees planted, the cleaner the air will be, and the air would be pure and free of toxins if there were sufficient oxygen.

“When the weather is chilly and windy, the trees planted around the edge operate as wind breakers.

“The roots of the trees protect the soil, while their leaves break the force of the wind and lessen the effect of rain on the ground.

“As such, trees deal with soil erosion, capture rainwater, and monitor storm water flow and sediment accumulation.

“In the end, I want to say that trees are excellent for people, and they are natural partners for healthy living.”