Ban on charcoal production in Adamawa taking toll on residents as unavailability looms

The ban placed on tree cutting and charcoal production in Adamawa State has begun to take its toll on the people.

Residents around the state are beginning to have problems getting charcoal to light fires to make their meals

Charcoal has reportedly become scarce due to the ban on tree cutting and burning to make charcoal, leading to rising prices on available quantities.

Residents claim this is a big blow considering that many had abandoned their kerosene stoves due to scarcity and the prohibitive cost of kerosene.

“I sent my daughter to buy charcoal but she came back after a long time to say that she could not find charcoal,” a housewife in the state capital, Mrs Yalsom James, told Newsmen, Monday morning.

Mrs James said she had to go out by herself to far-off charcoal selling points before she could get some quantities at a highly increased cost.

On her part, another housewife, Hannatu Vandi, said she now lives with the fear of completely losing the opportunity to access charcoal for family cooking.

“Charcoal sellers are giving in to the ban on tree felling and production of charcoal, causing scarcity and hike in price,” Mrs Vandi said, disclosing that at the weekend, she obtained for N300 a measure of charcoal that only a few days back was available for N200.

“Charcoal is gradually vanishing, making me wonder what I will do next,” she said, adding that her family lacked the means for gas cooking as the family does not even possess a gas cylinder.

“My husband did not like gas because of the risk of explosion. Now that kerosene has long been out for us because of scarcity and high cost and now that charcoal has been outlawed, gas is the only option. Sadly, we do not have the means for gas right now,” she said.

Newsmen reports that Governor Ahmadu Fintiri had last month announced the implementation of an old law which prohibits tree felling and burning for charcoal.

The governor had said his administration had resolved to resuscitate the law and effectively implement the ban on tree felling as the practice was causing problems for the state, especially flooding.