An Environmental group, the Climate & Environmental Development Initiatives is concerned with the menace of deforestation being encouraged by short-sighted and self-centered individuals in the state of Osun which is dangerous to our environment.
The Director, National Planning and Human Development of Climate and Environmental Development Initiatives (CEDI), Comrade Khalid Ibraheem aired the position of the environmental rights group on the incessant illegal and unauthorized felling of trees in Osun stating that if not halt will have negative effects on the environment.
CEDI feels concern especially on deforestation and illegal felling of trees in various locations in Osun as it has become worrisome and cankerworm.
The tree being illegally felled had been planted many years ago by late sage Obafemi Awolowo and since then no government has ever deemed to re-plant except government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola who initiated the idea of Igi Iye (Iye Tree).
The trees that had served as wind catcher to all our public schools in different locations had been destroyed by illegal fellers just for their personal aggrandizement which may even shorten the life span of the newly ultra-modern edifices being constructed by the Ogbeni Aregbesola -Led- Administration.
We are urging the state government henceforth to stop those who engage in such criminality because trees in urban areas are not for entrepreneurship and they are so few in number.
They are significant in the area of wind catching and unequal advantages in the areas of protection of human health. Our urban areas had been japarded with offensive carbon mono oxide flying to air on regular basis which is unfriendly to human consumption.
According to Khalid “that incessant felling of tree drives climate change, it affect forest soils which are moist, but without protection from sun-blocking tree cover they quickly dry out. Trees also help perpetuate the water cycle by returning water vapor back into the atmosphere. Without trees to fill these roles, many former forest lands can quickly become barren deserts. Removing trees deprives the forest of portions of its canopy, which blocks the sun’s rays during the day and holds in heat at night. This disruption leads to more extreme temperatures swings that can be harmful to plants, animals and human existence.”
Therefore, the government needs to encourage the forestation given to the fact that the planting of trees in 50s by late Awolowo boosted the economy of western region as cocoa, rubber, and timbers help in fixing our infrastructural development and another typical example was the Malaysia in 2010 that realised over 10 billions US Dollars through the trees planting .
Planting of trees is a continuous exercise which must be embraced considering the relevance in human and environmental life. Felling of trees is common but re-planting of the trees is un-common in Nigeria. it will be a dis-service to our nation to indiscriminate of felling of our trees which serve as a protection to human health, wind catcher in our public schools and government owned health centers.
CEDI finally call on government, those illegal tree fellers to desist from it henceforth and we appeal passionately to government of Ogbeni Aregbesola not to encourage such in Osun.
