C’ttee wants Gombe gov’t to establish forest reserves commission

The Gombe State government has been asked to establish a commission to protect and ensure proper management of grazing and forest reserves in the state. 

The Chairman of the 25-member Committee on Grazing, Forest, Game Reserves and Cattle Routes, AIG Zubairu Mu’azu (rtd), made this known as part of the recommendations while submitting the panel’s report to Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya. 

He said the commission to be tagged; ‘Gombe State Reserve Protection and Management Commission,’ should be saddled with the responsibility of protecting, coordinating and managing the gazetted reserves in the state. 

AIG Mu’azu added that the recommendation has become necessary as a result of the “poor and reckless” management of reserves in the state. Governor Yahaya had in July last year inaugurated the committee for the assessment of the grazing, forest and game resources and cattle routes. 

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Consequently, the  chairman further recommended that each reserve should have a committee with representations from local councils, traditional institutions, cattle breeders’ associations, farmers associations, ministry of agriculture and environment, forest resources, and other relevant bodies. He said, “Unfortunately, some of the gazetted reserves were encroached upon by the state government, local government and the traditional institution. “As a result of this, some of the encroachers have obtained Certificates of Occupancy to legalise their illegality in those locations. 

A total of 1,599 persons confirmed to have encroached on the six gazetted grazing reserves, 3,629 persons encroached on cattle routes while 911 persons encroached on gazetted forest reserves.” 

He also said the committee’s findings revealed that the state had six gazetted grazing reserves, 32 forest reserves with no game reserve. Receiving the report, Governor Yahaya commended the committee for carrying out a thorough job in efforts to address farmer-herder clashes in the state.

He said the recommendations made by the committee would be implemented to right the wrongs and initiate critical reforms that would help improve the livestock sector and protect forest reserves.