Sen Dickson urges govs to curtail reckless deforestation

Chairman, Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson has raised the alarm over the mindless deforestation in the country and urged various state governors to curtail the trend.

Senator Dickson who represents Bayelsa West in the National Assembly spoke on Wednesday while receiving the Excellence in Environmental Leadership award  conferred on him by a Coalition of 20 Non-Governmental Organizations with core values on Environment, Ecology and Climate Change at the Senate building in Abuja.

The award was presented by Comrade Celestine Okwudili who represented Mrs Ene Obi of Action Aid at the event.

The Coalition said that the award was conferred on the Senator for his contributions and stewardship in sustaining a healthy environment while serving as Governor of Bayelsa State between 2012 and 2020.

According to Okwudilli, the indelible efforts made by Senator Dickson include the constitution of an international commission on the environment chaired by Bishop, Lord Sentamu.

The report of the Commission was presented to the House of Lords after a thorough and painstaking analysis last month and was received  by Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State.

The Coalition also cited Senator Dickson’s bold and proactive decision to employ 250 graduates who were trained and posted to the Ministry of Environment as forest protection officers to stem the unlawful felling of trees leading to massive deforestation in Bayelsa, states in the Niger Delta and in most states in Nigeria.

In his remarks, Senator Dickson called on state governors to take deliberate steps to halt the reckless deforestation going on in most of the states of the federation.

He warned that if urgent steps are not taken, it would be difficult to find trees that are 15 years old in the country.

He also urged the state governors to redouble their efforts to ensure the preservation of the environment in the interest of posterity.

The Senator promised to take advantage of his new position as Chairman, Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change to collaborate with all critical stakeholders on the issue of the environment.

He pledged to use all platforms available to him to advance the cause of the environment, the ecology and climate change.

“As the Chairman of the Senate Committee of Ecology and Climate Change, I will work with all NGOs in Nigeria, support the efforts of all institutions and bodies, to advance the cause of the environment, particularly to join the campaign against climate change.

“Nigeria response for climate change and supporting communities devastated by climate change will see a marked difference by the time our Committee swings into action,” he said.