The Kwara State House of Assembly has called on the Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to enforce the Kwara State Charcoal Production Prohibition Law. This appeal includes prosecuting offenders, as their activities harm food safety.
This proposed solution was adopted during Tuesday’s plenary session, following a Motion on Notice titled “Urgent Need to Enforce Existing Laws against Charcoal Production and Transportation in Kwara.”
The motion was introduced by Halidu Danbaba, representing the APC/Kaiama/Kemaji/Wajibe Constituency.
Danbaba highlighted that charcoal production is a significant contributor to deforestation, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss.
He also noted its negative impact on local livelihoods, particularly for communities reliant on forest resources.
He stated that the unchecked exploitation of forest resources for charcoal is fast depleting the forests, particularly Kaiama and other environs, with long-term implications for climate resilience, food security, and water availability.
The lawmaker expressed worry that despite the existence of extant environmental laws and forestry regulations aimed at controlling logging and charcoal production activities, there continued to be a glaring lack of enforcement and compliance.
He said that if decisive actions were not taken to regulate the pace in defence of the environment, the economy, and the welfare of the citizens, the state would risk irreversible ecological destruction, be prone to diseases, loss of lives, and revenue.
After reading the resolutions, the Speaker, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, urged the governor to direct the Attorney-General, Commissioner for Justice, and Commissioner for Environment to enforce the existing law to serve as a deterrence.
The House also urged the governor to direct the Ministry of Environment and the State Environmental Protection Agency to immediately intensify surveillance to halt charcoal’s illegal production and transportation.
They said this was important, particularly in the identified notorious zones of Kwara North, such as Kaiama and Baruten Local Government Areas and across the state.
Lawmakers have unanimously directed the House Committee on Environment and Forestry to conduct an investigative oversight visit to Kaiama and other affected areas. This visit aims to assess the scale of illegal charcoal operations.
“The committee should thereafter recommend further appropriate legislative or policy action.
“We also call on the Ministry of Communication to intensify the sensitisation of citizens to the immediate and long-term consequences of large-scale charcoal production on the welfare of the citizens,” the speaker said.
A Bill to re-enact the Area Courts Law in Kwara passed its first reading during the plenary session. This Bill aims to establish the Constitution of Area Courts and further regulate the administration of justice concerning courts in the state.
Source: AgroNigeria
