‘Ecosystems, wildlife requires everyone’s effort to preserve’

The Conservator-General of National Park Service (NPK), Dr. Ibrahim Musa Goni, has said ecosystem and wildlife constitute part of the nation’s heritage and thus become doubly important in this day of mounting concern over insecurity and climate change.

Dr Goni said: “I want it to be in the consciousness of Nigerians that we all have a role to play in our own little ways to preserve and conserve nature.

The Conservator-General who stated this in response to the support materials given to the GashakaGumti National Park (GGNP) by the Taraba State government and the Cross River National Park (CRNP) by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), recently said the seven national Parks across the nation need more support from all stakeholders.

He noted that the donations will help the NPK to, not only survive, but thrive, saying, “It will definitely help the Parks in their operations, but most importantly, they will encourage more stakeholders to realise that the work of conservation is indeed everybody’s business.”

“To this end, we are most grateful to both the Taraba State Government and WCS for this invaluable assistance,” Goni said.

The Taraba State Government had, through its Commissioner for Works, IrmiyaHamman-Julde, donated three new motorcycles to GashakaGumti National Park (GGNP).

Hamman-Julde said the assistance was aimed at supporting the protection activities of the Park and addressing its security challenges, adding that the governor has approved the construction of the Mayo- Kam Bridge, and also considering the possibility of providing some communication gadgets for the Park.

The Conservator of GGNP,  Mr. Kabir Mohammed, while receiving the motorcycles, said the gesture by the state government was timely, and promised that they would solely be used in the protection of the Park and for security surveillance, and urged other state governments playing host to other nationals to emulate this kind gesture.

In a related development, Mr Andrew Dunn, the Country Director, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), who handed over the support materials to the Cross River Park said that the items were from Arcus Foundation, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and the Rainforest Trust.

Dunn said the items were meant for Okwangwo Division for the protection of Cross River Gorilla, and expressed hope that more items will be received in the near future for the benefit of Oban Division, and called for proper handling and utilisation of the items.

The items received were 10 motorcycles and helmets, 10 sleeping mats, 10 camping tents, 3 camera traps including security cases, master lock cables, 32GB memory cards with 18 packs of rechargeable batteries and 30 ponchos.