The Taraba State Government has prohibited the felling and burning of trees for charcoal to prevent desert encroachment and environmental degradation.
Gen. Jeremiah Faransa, Chairman, Task Force on Environmental Protection, Public Safety and Prohibition of Land Degradation, disclosed this in Jalingo on Monday.
Faransa attributed the rising cost of charcoal to the ongoing efforts to curtail illegal tree cutting, noting that a cartel was behind the nefarious activities.
“The state is losing economically due to the illegal burning of trees, with charcoal sold for N4,500 in Jalingo but resold for N12,000 in Abuja,” he said.
The chairman explained that the government was exploring innovative solutions to alleviate the hardship faced by residents, emphasizing that the ban was not against firewood use for cooking but aimed at preventing reckless destruction of economic trees.
Faransa assured that the government would continue to protect the state’s environment and natural resources.
