…suggest planting of trees as panacea to heat
Residents of Yola, the Adamawa state capital have expressed grave concerns over constant dusty winds most times it is about to rain.
These concerns were made known when Usaku News Crew spoke to a cross section of the residents.
Our correspondent, Elkanah Bulus Wadili reports that dusty winds and excruciating hot weather, due to human activities in the quest to make ends meet, are some of the effects of climate change which prevails in Adamawa.
This is now wreaking havoc on people’s lives in different dimensions.
Some residents in their efforts to proffer solutions to climate change, resort to the perennial suggestion and call to action, that people should stop the habit of felling trees.
Mohammed Adamu, is of the opinion that the culture of planting trees should be revived and people should abide by government’s instruction concerning the environment.
‘’people should indeed start planting more trees. Secondly, people should pay adequate attention to the government’s directives on weather protection,” he said.
Mohammed Murtala shares a similar opinion that people should desist from unnecessary felling of trees which is in tandem with the current decision of the Adamawa state government.
‘’The decision to stop illegal felling down of trees should not be enforced in Jimeta alone but the whole of Nigeria. For instance, the people of Jigawa state have stopped indiscriminate felling of trees. They enjoy the fresh breeze when they go to their farms because they leave at least 20 to trees for that purpose,” Muritala added.
Mohammed Hassan Oscar on his part, chose to go down the memory lane, to reveal what went wrong that resulted in the current change of weather in the state, Nigeria and the globe.
Oscar added, ‘’In the past decade, the northeast has not experienced this desert encroachment that much. But it has now left Gombe state and has started affecting Adamawa state. This is caused by indiscriminate felling of trees. The law had it that when two trees are cut down, seven to ten should be planted to replace them. I am very grateful to Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri who prohibited illegal felling of trees but there are still people who turned deaf ears.”
But Amanda Charles says urbanisation is a threat which does not allow people to plant trees within the city centre.
They all appealed to the state government to make the laws guarding illegal felling down of trees stringent and punish all perpetrators to the latter.
‘’ Adamu, The government should not just arrest and release the offenders, but should punish them for their offense. The government should also apply wisdom.
‘’Murtala, Both the rich and poor should be punished if they are arrested. But the rich are favoured, this incident will continue.
‘’Oscar, taking care of the environment will bring peace. The Adamawa state government should still make a law that every house must plant at least one tree,” Charles added.
A cleric who does not want his name mentioned, says whoever wants to live long, should plant trees. He argues that trees are an antidote to the current harsh weather.
Based on this, the decision is now left for everyone to contribute in safeguarding the environment, which many argue, is the number one assignment given to humanity by the creator.
