The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Yola, the Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Dami Mamza and the Archbishop of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria Dr. Musa Panti Filibus have both called on Nigerians, the various state governors, and other leaders to fight deforestation in order to save the future of the younger generation.
Speaking on Wednesday in Yola at a seminar organised by The Iliya Yame Kwache Foundation on the importance of tree planting, the Catholic Bishop said that if urgent steps are not taken in the next few years to come, Adamawa State will become a desert.
He stressed that the responsibility of tree planting should not be left to the government alone, adding that individuals should also take proactive measures to address the awaiting dangers that will come with deforestation.
Mamza noted, “If you cut one tree, plant at least five trees in replacement and make sure that you nurse the trees to a mature level and protect it like your private property.” This practice, he assured, will help to fight deforestation.
The cleric urged Nigerian leaders to make it a duty to provide incentives to villages that depend on firewood and charcoal as their means of cooking in order to reduce the mass cutting of trees.
Archbishop Filibus, who declared the seminar open, observed that afforestation and reforestation are not only solutions but also transformative actions that can address the root causes of environmental conflict between farmers and herders.
“By restoring degraded lands and expanding our forest cover, we create sustainable ecosystems and establish natural boundaries that can reduce conflicts over natural resources,” he said.
Filibus who commended Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, for banning the uncontrolled cutting and burning of tree trunks for charcoal production, pointed out that the decision represented a positive step forward.
“A generation that destroys the environment is not the one that pays the price,” he added.
While presenting his paper at the seminar titled, “Mass Tree Planting Exercise and Peace Building,” Dr. Vahyala Adamu Tari, a lecturer in the department of political science Nigerian police Academy, Wudil, Kano State advised that the government should not only ban wood logging and trees felling, but should also provide alternatives to the villagers for their cooking.
He warned that deforestation is a time bomb waiting to explode, especially in northern Nigeria, where open grazing has become a tradition of herders.
The organiser and chief executive of the foundation, Mr. Iliya Yame Kwache, a medical doctor and lawyer-turned environmentalist, informed the participants that the foundation was established to fight for humanity, especially the children yet unborn.
He stressed that deforestation is a silent war that kills faster than bullets when the riches of the environment are taken away through unlawful human activities.