Residents of Burra have expressed their grip over grand deforestation which exposed their community to windstorm and flooding in the recent past.
Burra, a town in Ningi local government of Bauchi State is home to one of Nigeria’s largest forest reserves, the Lame-Burra Forest which is about 205,900ha, with abundant forest resources.
Activities of charcoal and timber producers had depleted the forests resources in Burra, an omen that has exposed resident communities to environmental degradations thereby making life difficult for the towns and villages.
It was estimated that on daily basis, no fewer than 20 trucks loaded with charcoal passed through Burra for Kano.
A resident of Burra who spoke to our reporter on the condition of anonymity said each of the truck pays certain amount of money under the guise of tax at a definite gate mounted at the entrance of Burra.
He explained that the people manning the gate operate mostly in the night for reasons he said he cannot figure out well. Their mode of operation suggests that they must be keeping something away from the eyes of the public.
“It was not clear whether or not those operating at the gate are officials posted from the local government Secretariat or state government to collect tax from these illegal charcoal and timber dealers destroying our forest.”
Another resident of Burra who pleaded not to be named, said uncertainty grip every resident of the town once cloud began to gather momentum because of the fear of the unknown.
“Windstorm raised dust as high as possible to cover the sun as though we were in the Sahara Desert. You cannot even see your palm once such a windstorm begins. Everyone runs for dear life,” he said.
The windstorm comes along with a lot of fatalities ranging from destruction of houses, uprooting of trees to destruction of farm produce thereby making food security for the people of Burra a luxury desire.
However, each windstorm is on, it used to last ‘for over one a half hour’ is an alien development for most residents of the town and neighbouring villages, young and old.
Our source said that he has never seen such a dreaded windstorm scenario with house roofs flying over people’s head in the last 20 years in the town until recently when deforestation heightens due to activities of charcoal and timber makers.
He said that recently, a deadly windstorm uprooted about five houses in Kurmi village, about 10km from Burra, and tress. There was no death or injury recorded as the result of the incident.
“Rivers overflow causing flooding which traditionally washes away farmlands and plants causing damage worth millions of naira to our farmers. Most notably, those farming along river banks.”
He said that the influence of power brokers in Ningi local government abated deforestation in Burra over the years despite its multiplier effects.
No tangible machinery was put in place by authorities in the local government to checkmate deforestation especially in Burra town.
“A few years ago, a resident of Burra who was worried by the length and extent of deforestation in Burra wrote paragraphs on social media.
“After the post went viral, the then Deputy Chairman of the local government, Idris Shu’aibu acted on the instruction of the Chairman, Nura Maikira’a, reported the blogger to the District Head and was summoned along with his father,” he said.
Responding, Director General, Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency, BASEPA Dr Ibrahim Kabir, said in the last 13 months, the agency has not officially received a petition or complaint over deforestation in Ningi local government.
“If the people said we failed to come in to fight deforestation in the community is because they are the ones backing the illegal business.
“We have every claim to substantiate how the community backed the deforestation business over the years which is what brought the problem they are now crying of,” the Director-General said.
He said BASEPA’s role in environmental conservation in Bauchi State is cheaply captured by Bauchi Environmental Mobile Court which prosecutes offenders in line with various environmental laws in the state.
