Bashe, Kafin Lemo and Balele communities in Ningi local government area of Bauchi State will soon have the environmental problems of flooding and erosion solved as the State Project Management Unit (SPMU) of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscape (ACReSAL) is set to address the problems.
The disclosure was made by the State Project Coordinator, Dr Ibrahim Kabir when he visited the communities for an assessment survey before any action.
The delegation went around alongside the Project’s Engineer, Mukhtar Yerima Giade,, and the Director General of Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA), Dr Mahmood Mohammed Bose.
The team led by the State Head of Civil Service, Alhaji Yahuza Adamu, was targeted at assessing the level of the problems in the communities with the view to come up with detailed engineering designs for possible civil works by ACReSAL.
Addressing the community members, the Project Coordinator expressed how overwhelmed he is with the productive population and agricultural and economic activities in Bashe, Kafin Lemo, and Balele and called for support and prayers towards the successful implementation of the project.
He also charged the communities for massive afforestation and frowned at the incessant tree felling for charcoal and firewood making or timber, adding that the vegetation cover is responsible for the agricultural yields in the areas.
As a community-driven development project, the SPC said, ACReSAL also identifies the potential of bringing more life-changing projects to the areas for livelihood Improvement, food security, and sustainable development and announced the donation of tree seedlings for kickstarting the afforestation activities.
The Director General of BASEPA, Dr Mahmud Bose, used the forum to call on the people to avoid the habit of tree felling, assuring his Agency’s provision of adequate tree seedlings for massive afforestation in the state.
He also called on them to observe personal hygiene and cleanliness to avoid the spread of environment-related health diseases.
Earlier, the Head of Service, Alhaji Yahuza Adamu, addressed community members during the visit to the communities.
He assured them that he would do everything possible to ensure the project’s successful implementation and urged them to offer their support and prayers to achieve its objectives.
Yahuza Adamu also urged the communities to consider the visit as the right step towards addressing not only the identified environmental challenges but all activities capable of improving their livelihoods in the agriculture, health, education,, and water, sanitatio,n, and hygiene sectors towards attaining sustainable environment and development.
Speaking separately on behalf of their communities, Alhaji Bala Kafin Lemo, Alhaji Yakubu Mai unguwa, and Mallam Muhammad Abdullahi expressed gratitude for the visit and pledged full cooperation with the project.
