Military to Partner Ministry of Environment to Preserve Nigeria’s Forest, Wildlife

By: Michael Mike

The military and the Ministry of Environment have agreed to partner in the protection and preservation of the nation’s forests and wildlife.

The agreement was reached on Wednesday during a visit of the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa and his team to the Ministry of Environment in Abuja.

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal said the partnership will foster the attainment of the country’s environmental goals and climate action.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)‘s Organised Crime Threat Assessment for Nigeria for 2023 has found that Nigeria is a key transit hub and consolidation point for various forms of illegal trade in wildlife and forest products, especially for pangolin, ivory, and rosewood.

The UNODC had decried that there were more than 1,000 records between 2011 and 2020 that indicate Nigeria as a source, transit, or destination country.

The FG had also lamented that Nigeria’s forest cover is diminishing and that at present only about three per cent of Nigeria’s forest cover remains, instead of acceptable 25 per cent.

Lawal during the meeting with the CDS said: “For the first time in Nigeria, it has been observed that from February till date, the weather has been very hot, which shows that there is a very serious climate change in Nigeria. We need to take care of our environment because that is where we live.

“I believe that we need your support in achieving that. We need your strong support in the area of forest protection. The forest cover in Nigeria is about three per cent now. So, we need to move to stop illegal wood logging and the exportation of wood.

“Secondly, we have the issue of illegal poaching of wildlife. Recently there was the killing of two elephants in Borno state, and we have only a few in the country, in Nigeria, we have less than 200 of them. We are also confronted with the issue of poaching of pangolins. So, we need your support to protect the wildlife.

“We also look at the issue of turning wastes into wealth. We have a lot of waste in the country, so we are trying to create a circular economy around it. We are trying to create employment, energy around wastes.”

The minister noted that a roadmap for the circular economy has been developed to guide Nigeria’s transition to a circular economy.

On his part, the Chief of Defence Staff said efforts are being made to address illegal oil bunkering, and soot in the country.

He promised that: “We will continue to do our best to protect the environment because it’s a running battle. So, we are here as part of the efforts to ensure that we develop synergy and have a better understanding for the good of the country.

“The environment is everything because without it, there can’t be humans and it is critical for us at the Armed Forces, especially in the aspect of security. Now we have seen the effects of climate change all over and how it’s affecting lives and we need to innovate ways of tackling climate change.

“I want to assure you that the Armed Forces is ready to support you because working together as a team is better.”

He decried that criminals, bandits, and other non-state actors take advantage of the forests to carry out heinous crimes.”

He admitted that: “We can partner to ensure the security of those places and tell you that we are ready to give you all the support. We will ensure that our forests remain very viable.”

Military to Partner Ministry of Environment to Preserve Nigeria’s Forest, Wildlife

Kare-Kare Association inaugurates new executive in Nangere

Yahaya Wakili

Karai-karai Association Mayinakara Gamataka Nangere local government chapter Yobe state has today inaugurated its executives at the Emir of Tikau place, Sabon Gari.

Speaking at the occasion, the State Chairman Mayinakara, Alhaji Shu’aibu Shansi, thanked His Royal Highness, the emir of Tikau, Alhaji Dr Muhammadu Abubakar Ibn Grema LLD, for the support and cooperation he extended to the association.

He said during the Eid-el-kabir Sallah, by the grace of God, we are going to organize a one-week culture at this place and pray to Almighty Allah (SWT) to upgrade all Karai-karai tribes in the world.

Also speaking, a chieftain in the association, Alhaji Yunusa Yuguda, Jagaba of Fika, said people should know that this occasion is not for the APC, PDP, or any political party; this is for Karai-karai only. If you are from any political party, you can attend the event.

He said our people are ignorant of something; if there is such an event, they will not come or show up because there is a fear of victimization from their political leaders. He added that this association, Mayinakara, is not a political party and is only to unite all karai-karai tribes in every part of the world.

Hon. Halilu Abubakar Mazagane, a member contesting the seat for Yobe South Senatorial District under the PDP in the 2023 general election, said that this association of Mayinakara was established because of me, because I enjoy the impact of the association; it works tirelessly on me.

“I want all that will happen in Nigeria; I want to include Karai-Karai inside and call on Karai-Karai those who have positions in government; if the son of Karai-Karai gets admission and he doesn’t have money to pay the school fees, please pay it for him.” Mazagane added.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Caretaker Management Committee of Nangere local government, Hon. Salisu Yarima, said we are here all on behalf of the Karai-Karai tribe; let us unite ourselves and speak with one voice.

Salisu Yarima urges all karai-karai leaders, or Mayinakara, to embrace the love of each other and call on all media houses in Nigeria and the world at large to publicize the karai-karai tribe in the world.

In his closing remarks, Nangere local government Mayinakara Patron, Alhaji Adamu Chillariye, said that everywhere karai-karai is a karai-karai, you can’t change your tribe; everybody is answering his tribe name, but to my surprise, a karai-karai man doesn’t want to answer his own.

Adding that, may be he fills shame on it; I don’t know; you can’t change your tribe; this is how God made you. He called on those involved in such an attitude to stop it. Adding to that, Mbeno is a mother and the head of organizations, but they left it behind; therefore, he urged them to revive it.

The state chairman, Alhaji Shu’aibu Shansi, further inaugurated the executives of the of the Mayinakara Gamataka Nangere local government chapter, with Dauda Muhammed Nangere as chairman, Yakubu Auta Degubi as secretary,  and Audu Ibrahim Dinda as treasurer.

Kare-Kare Association inaugurates new executive in Nangere

Women Face the Toughest Hurdles in Northeast Nigeria

By: Chi Lael and Dr. Kelechi Onyemaobi
 
Aisha and her eight children have spent the last three months hiding in the bush in northeast Nigeria. Her husband was killed last year, shot by members of Boko Haram. Aisha managed to escape. “We ran into the forest,” said Aisha, “me and my eight children. We stayed there for three months. Every day, I would look for firewood and risk taking it to town to sell, so I could feed my children.”
 
Aisha and her children were eventually taken in by a kind family who they still live with. They are amongst the one million people being helped by WFP as food insecurity in northeast Nigeria. “I really appreciate this food. If we didn’t have it, my children would go out to beg around the community,” said Aisha.
 
Tragically this crisis is not the result of a drought, but conflict that has been spreading through the region during the last decade. It is estimated that more than 30,000 people have been killed in the fighting – and Aisha’s husband is just one of them. The state of Yobe – where Aisha lives – Adamawa and Borno, have borne the brunt. The seemingly bucolic idyll – the camels grazing by the side of the road, the ox-carts ferrying goods for sale – belie the underlying atmosphere of fear.
 
Nor is Aisha alone in her plight: one in four women in northeast Nigeria are now widows as a result of the conflict, leaving many of these families to suffer from the absence of their fathers and husbands.
 
Added to this, an estimated 2.1 million people have also had to flee their homes, which in a largely agrarian community severely increases the threat of hunger. If people can’t grow food, work their land, then they risk starving.
 
Ya Kaka, 25, and her children also receive support from WFP with funding from the European Union (EU). But she is a victim of another aspect of the conflict – forced marriage. When she was 18, Ya Kaka was kidnapped by insurgents to become a ‘bride’ for a soldier – however, Ya Kaka was already married, with children. After three years – having given birth to a baby in captivity – Ya Kaka finally managed to escape and return home. 
 
“I was always scared that I might get caught. But one day, I woke up and decided to escape. I was ready to do whatever it would take,” she said. 
 
Unfortunately, when she returned, Ya Kaka’s first husband rejected her and her new baby because she’d been married – albeit as a kidnap victim – to another man.  Now Ya Kaka lives, with four children, in the village of Kukareta, near Damaturu, only able to feed them with the food she receives from WFP.  “I’m hoping and praying to God to take away all my pains, I want to forget all I’ve gone through or all that I’m always thinking about,” said Ya Kaka.
 
Almost 5 million people currently suffering acute food insecurity in need of urgent assistance in the conflict-affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. WFP is supporting up to 1 million people with emergency food and nutrition assistance for children, supported by its donors including the EU.

Chi Lael and Dr. Kelechi Onyemaobi work for the United Nations World Food Programme, the
world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change. They can be reached via email at Chi.Lael@wfp.org and Kelechi.Onyemaobi@wfp.org

Women Face the Toughest Hurdles in Northeast Nigeria