Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state has suggested that Ecological Fund should be transferred to the Ministry of Environment because it has the expertise and national reach to manage it for the country.
The Governor disclosed this on Saturday when the Minister of Environment, Dr Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, presented one million seedlings to Kaduna state at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, to mark the 2020 World Environment Day, with the theme: ‘’Bio-diversity, time for nature.’’
Justifying his suggestion, el-Rufai said it is only proper for the Ecological Fund to be domiciled with the Ministry because its functions include “fighting erosion, deforestation and desert encroachment. The ministry has the knowledge, technicality and expertise as well as the national reach to better manage the fund and utilise it for the benefit of the entire country”.
El-Rufai said he headed a committee during the first term of the present administration, which recommended the transfer of the Fund to the Ministry of Environment.
He added that the matter was further tabled before the National Executive Council (NEC) and a decision was taken on it but the resolution has not yet been implemented.
The Governor lamented that Kaduna state has lost a lot of its forest in the last few years before the coming of his administration, adding that the state is being afforested again.
‘’In the last five years, we have been planting 1.5 million trees every year. Only about 50% of the trees survive, but we have not given up. It is an investment that we are willing to make for our children and grandchildren,’’ he added.
He promised the minister that “Kaduna state will plant the seedlings that he has donated and 90% of them will survive and we will match the number of what you have donated to us. In Kaduna state, when we promise to do something, we always deliver on our promise. We will invite you next year so that you will see what we have done; you will then know that your donation was not in vain”.
The Minister, in his remarks said that his ministry had promised 5 million seedlings to Kaduna state in fulfillment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s pledge to plant 25 million trees across the country.
Dr Abubakar said that the ministry decided to commemorate 2020 World Environment Day in Kaduna because of Governor el-Rufai’s commitment to environment issues and support to the Ministry
He said that the balance of four million trees will be delivered to Kaduna state soon.
