By Sadiq Abubakar
National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESTRA) in Borno state has warned residents against felling of trees for firewood to enable the state to control desertification and deforestation problems in the state in particular and the North-east in general.
The senior scientific officer of the agency, Habila Banawa, gave the warning yesterday in Maiduguri when he led a delegation of the agency on a familiarisation and inspection visit to some media offices in Maiduguri.
Banawa said the agency had even carried out series of campaigns in the state against the felling of trees in the past, while urging the media to partner with NESTRA in educating the people on the danger of felling trees in the Sahara Desert.
He said the mandate of the agency was to enforce all environmental laws, guidelines, standards and regulations as well as ensure compliance with the provision of international agreements and protocol to which Nigeria is a signatory.
The senior officer, however, lamented that insecurity problems in the North-east I are grossly affecting the agency like other institutions in the zone making them unable to move round freely and easily to enforce the environmental laws in the state and other states in the zone.
“What we are doing here for now basically is enlightening and educating on how to make the environment safer for living,” Habila said.
