Fintiri bans tree felling for charcoal production in Adamawa

Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa has announced the ban on the felling and burning of tree trunks for charcoal production in the state.

The governor said Thursday that an existing law against tree cutting and use of tree trunks to produce charcoal for cooking would henceforth be strictly enforced.

Fintiri gave the order first when he received traditional rulers who paid him Sallah homage from across the state and later to members of the state House of Assembly who visited him at the Government House in Yola on Sallah homage.

He told the lawmakers who were led by Speaker of the House of Assembly, Bathiya Wesley, that they all have a responsibility to ensure the law against tree cutting is upheld.

“We have reached the firm decision that there should be no felling of trees and production of charcoal. All of us are expected to play our part to ensure that the law against tree cutting which we have not been implementing should from now be implemented strictly. I said this to the traditional rulers when they came.

“We must all do what we need to do in our respective capacities in this direction. We have to encourage our people to turn to sustainable alternatives to charcoal.”

The governor explained that his government decided to be firm against cutting down trees mostly to burn and produce charcoal because deforestation had been found to cause extensive flooding around the state.

“We have seen places which were hitherto free of flooding now being frequently flooded, causing destruction to our farms, homes and valuable assets,” he said.