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Green Memo to Governor Shekarau By Aliyu Salisu Barau
Geography Department Federal College of Education, Kano
Your Excellency, I am glad to write once again to raise an issue that deserve utmost prioritization by the in coming government. But this time around, I am acting in my true colour as environmentalist, so the focus is on the state of the natural environment in Kano State. However, I would like to start by reviewing the prevailing ecological problems in the state, the interventions made by your government and the areas and actions that should and could be done to reverse the problems and improve on the ecological harmony in the most populous state in the Nigerian federation.
Your Excellency, your administration has emphatically identified with environment by the way the ecological problems in the state were reflected in your inaugural speech in May 2003. Your government has also created an agency namely REMASAB to tackle municipal waste, even the Adaidaita Sahu project is woven with the needs for public to keep up with sanitation. The other mainstream and innovative achievement of your government is the introduction of night soils evacuation vans released for night soil workers in the state. Likewise, conventional tree planting campaigns have been maintained. I know there are good plans in the pipeline which could not the see the light of the day and so it is unimportant to mention a dream.
Your Excellency, let me remind you of the objectives of the state ministry of environment which are as follows: 1. environmental sanitation and refuse management 2. erosion, flood and desertification control 3. industrial waste and pollution 4. management of refuse dumping sites 5. control of ponds , public sewage and drainage 6. urban landscaping and beautification 7. environmental impact assessments 8. control of mining sites and 9. environmental laboratory services
When we look at the above objectives, we can say that, in areas like refuse management, erosion control and drainage construction significant achievements were yielded in the last three years. Though, even for these, no distinction is earned by my own judgment as environmentalist who keeps an eye on the environmental situation in the state. But, for all other objectives of the ministry of environment, the story of the performance is just undesirable.
Your Excellency, your government has paid greater attention to urban environmental problems at the detriment of those in the rural areas which are more deadly as far as the stability of the ecosystem is concerned. The city depends wholly on the countryside for its water, food, sand and air cleaning mechanisms. But even for the urban areas, what is it good and worthwhile that the Kano Sustainable Project has done for the urban Kano?
Your Excellency, are you aware that, in the last twenty years more than fifty forest reserves located in the various nooks and crannies of Kano have been eradicated or seriously damaged? Examples of such forest reserves include those in Gaya, Rurum, Kyarana, Dansoshiya, Katate, Dundun Bature, Tuwaru, Bunku, Jinjau, Samaniya, Gwame, Dunawa, Alako, Kalebawa, Kantawa, Bude, Gagun, Mata, Kuskurmi, Sakau, Dokoki, Lugge, Tumuku, Dakwa, Matan Fada, Geza, Hurmi, and Buzu. Even the mighty Falgore is not exempted.
Greening the Sharia Project Your Excellency, since Sharia implementation underpins the spirit of your government, I would like to suggest that your government should know that Islam has made a lucid concern for the environment (see Environment and Sustainable Development in the Qur’an, 2004 IIITN Kano by this author). Allah has created the environment for humans and others to live and serve Him. Then how can we deny or eliminate others. By felling trees are we not reducing the amount of tasbih going up to Allah? And by planting more trees we are increasing the tasbih and getting sadaqah jarriyah (prevailing alms). Allah has categorically shown in the Quran that He creates all resources for us to share with other elements of the ecosystem. An example here is the story of the people of Prophet Salih whose people denied a she camel her right to drink! Now by letting pollution, deforestation to prevail are we not repeating the same crime or mistake?
Your Excellency, by spearheading rehabilitation and reclamation of the forest reserves only Allah knows how much He will pay you. To me, it is most unjust for us to destroy the habitat of the sinless creation that faults none but our unguarded human greediness for material accumulation. I am therefore praying to you to extend Sharia implementation to embrace protection and conservation of the ecosystem.
Your Excellency, let me summarize the state of the urban environment as follows: Urbanisation in Kano has its cost and implications on the environment and the inhabitants of the city. Within the last two decades, all the renowned open spaces in the city and its environs have disappeared or sharply reduced in size; most of the city ponds and water bodies are polluted beyond the limits set by world standards. Compared to the past, vegetation density in the city has also diametrically declined; Kano city used to have some wetlands and scrublands which served as sanctuary for the wildlife, it is now too rare to have glimpse of some birds, insects and reptiles; flooding and outbreak of epidemics are recurrent with attendant casualties; squalors continue to emerge with no supportive infrastructure; the microclimate of Kano city is undesirable to the inhabitants liking who recall with nostalgia what it was few decades. Urban agriculture has faded along with its greenery; children and youths in the city have lost their playgrounds and soccer teams; the city is hot, dusty and smoky due to increased air pollution mainly associated with transport and industrial sectors.
Your Excellency, London and New York have once suffered the same before. I mean that the situation is reversible. So, do it now please. Please, let your Commissioner for Environment be one who purely understands environmental management from interdisciplinary approach and with proven record of practice.
Your Excellency, by putting spanners to work for ensuring ecological harmony in the state, we are surely creating basis for improved healthcare, socio-psychological peace ands prosperity. The ecosystem cannot tolerate to loan its soils, flora and fauna, water and air for us to damage with huge negative consequences. In fact, by neglecting the environmental protection we are destroying the tourism potentials of the state also.
Thanks Aliyu Barau |