NPS arrests illegal loggers in Okomu Park

• FG to make NCCC inclusive institution

National Park Service has arrested three illegal loggers during routine anti-poaching patrol activities in the Julius Creek Range in the Western axis of the Okomu National Park in Edo State.

Conservator-General of the Service, Dr. Ibrahim Goni, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, gave their names as Kehinde Hassan, alias Alfa, Adeoye Tajudeen and Uba Okechukwu.

He expressed commitment towards protecting the country’s forest and to build a climate resilient environment, while calling on the public to support the fight against illegal poaching and trafficking of endangered species.

Also speaking, Conservator of Parks, Lawrence Osaze, assured that their efforts to rid the National Parks of all forms of illegal activities have paid off by the arrest, saying, the management has zero tolerance for any encroachment.

Osaze stated that these will be sustained through the vigilance, doggedness and dedication of Park Rangers, adding that the suspects would soon be charged to court for illegal entry, logging and altering the vegetation of the park.

He explained this is in line with the National Park Service enabling law, the three suspects have since been remanded in the Nigeria Correctional Centre, Benin City, saying, items recovered from them include two lorry loads of timber.

MEANWHILE, the Federal Government has taken bold steps aimed at making the National Council on Climate Change an inclusive institution that would accommodate different voices including youths, women and people living with disability in tackling climate change.
 
Its Director General, Dr. Salisu Dahiru, stated this at the National Essay Competition titled “Climate Change and Nigeria’s Economic Development organized by Centre for Climate Change and Development Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike,Ebonyi held in Abuja.

He also said that climate change is a national emergency that requires everybody to participate, thanking the young people that present or participated in the event  and  enjoined the Nigerian youths to work together with the council to build effective responses to climate change.  
 
Speaking, Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke of  Centre for Climate Change and Development, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike, said the participants submitted quality essays that would encourage the country  to  promote climate change adaptation and also to alert the incoming President.
 
Okereke argued on the economic development implications of climate change for Nigeria and the need for urgent action to tackle the challenge, saying, “climate change is not just an environmental problem but a national economic development problem. This is meant to create awareness generally.”
 
The winners of the Competition are: Israel Oghenefiro Orere of Petroleum Engineering at the University of Lagos, Lagos State; James Afomare Owan , an Engineering graduate and Promise Okwuchukwu an undergraduate of Law at University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu State. They went home with N200,000, N150,000 and N100,000 respectively.