|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Anthony Maliki
The federal government has been called upon to lease out Dansadau forest in Zamfara State to local or foreign investors with agricultural know-how as part of measures to curtail bandit activities.
A civil society advocate and the Executive Director of Fulani Initiative for the Protection of Environment and Less Privileged (FUPEL), Alhaji Bachiri Sarkin-Fulani made the call in an interview with newsmen in Gusau, the state capital.
“This issue of banditry has defied several steps earlier taken and this is largely due to the fact that the criminal have control of the forest, by the time government leases out the area, businesses will spring and the business owners will not allow destruction on their property, hence they will employ good security.
“This will have multiple positive impact as the land which is very fertile will be used in the cultivation of many food crops in large quantity, provide employment to many youths including repentant bandits and save all surrounding communities from threats among others.
“Apart from farming activities, other opportunities are most likely to come up that will be beneficial to both the state and federal governments since more access roads will be constructed to make movement by security personnel, farmers, goods and services easier,” Sarkin-Fulani explained.
He also called on the federal government to consider the construction of military, police and Civil Defense barracks along Gusau-Sokoto road, especially between Lambar Bakura and Bimasa so that the area can be secured and be assured of quick response from security, anytime there is need.
Bachiri then called for the urgent revival of the Bokolori irrigation site so that farming activities can be enhanced while the area can be made busy to create jobs for the people.
