An ecologist, Mr Abdullahi Aremu, last Tuesday called for collaboration between traditional rulers and Green Guards to protect the nation’s forests resources.
Aremu, who is the Director-General, Advocacy for Environmental and Sanitation Integrity, an NGO, gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
“Governments should engage traditional rulers to collaborate with green guards in the protection of the nation’s forests to curb
deforestation.
“This is important because green guards allow rural dwellers that involved in firewood and charcoal business to deplete forests resources,” Aremu said.
He also urged the media to sensitise forest guards on the danger of depleting the nation’s forests resources.
Aremu, who blamed the depletion of forest resources on felling of trees, said sensitisation on the dangers of such action became imperative.
According to him, many forest guards have little or no knowledge of the effects of forest on climate change.
“Trees provide important services to us. They remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, produce oxygen and provide other ecological functions.
“When we clear forests, we hurt ourselves as a community both at regional and global levels. Therefore, I support every effort to stop deforestation at all levels,” he said.