Katsina communities lament forest encroachment

Communities around Baryawa government reserve forest in Mani local government area, Katsina state have cried out over allocation of substantial part of the forest for construction purposes, thereby exposing them to dangers of desert encroachment and other environmental challenges. Spokesperson of the communities, Sani Yaron-Aike in a letter of complaint to the state government called for its immediate intervention to forestall […]

Communities around Baryawa government reserve forest in Mani local government area, Katsina state have cried out over allocation of substantial part of the forest for construction purposes, thereby exposing them to dangers of desert encroachment and other environmental challenges.

Spokesperson of the communities, Sani Yaron-Aike in a letter of complaint to the state government called for its immediate intervention to forestall possible environmental  consequences.

He alleged that more than two kilometres of the forest had been allocated to individuals by the local government officials and a close aide of the governor one Lawal Usman Bagiwa.

Yaron-Aike said the forest was serving as protection against desert encroachment to the communities and also as a grazing reserve for their animals.

He said: “It is wearisome to note that the state government has banned cutting down of trees in forests giving the recent agreement entered over cattle rustling but one of its officials is going ahead to cut down the trees and allocate plots. 

‘”We have complained to our traditional institutions, state and local government authorities, Department of Security Service and Police but work only stopped for a while and it has resumed now,” he said.

When contacted, the chairman of the state forest reserve, cattle and farmers issues, Abdulaziz Lawal Kofar Sauri said the committee could not act on an verbal complain.

He said: “Three persons came and complaint to me verbally but my committee can’t do anything about their submission, they have to put it in writing. We work on written evidence for proper documentation not verbal submission.”

On his part, the person who was accused of allocating the plots, Bagiwa, said: “I don’t have anything to do with this matter because I’m not aware of anything of such nature. I am neither aware of the petition nor of what is going on in the forest”.

Salisu Musa Danhajia Daura, acting chairman of the local council, also feigned ignorance of the matter when contacted on the issue.