The District Head of Miri in Bauchi state, Mallam Hussaini Othman has warned Charcoal business owners to vacate his domain or face the wrath of the law.
Othman who gave the warning on Friday when he granted audience to the people of Kusi village, said Charcoal production is derived from the cutting and burning of trees, which encourage deforestation.
He warned those involved in charcoal production to desist from the act, as according to him it causes deforestation which fastracts desert encroachment.
“The search for cheaper energy sources have escalated the depletion of the forest which contributes to global warming and natural disasters such floods and flooding, excessive and erratic rainfalls, to mention but a few”, the district head said.
“Falling down trees in the name of making charcoal is enough and I urge the perpetrators to stop that attitude for economic development”, he advised.
Othman who said people often blindly and ignorantly indulge in tree felling including economic trees for their own personal gains, decried that they do so without minding the effects and dangers that it might cause to the general public and the economic status of the state.
He lamented that forestry is gradually going into extinction due to continuous demand of firewood for domestic cooking, bakery activities, among others.
“Thousands of trees are indiscriminately felt every day, thousands of trees are cut down without replacement with new ones. More forestry are fast turning into desert land and this has forced the migration of wildlife animals and human beings”, he noted.
The District Head however advised those in the charcoal businesses to look for an alternative means of survival such as farming among others.
