How the sky peacefully blended with the earth in Kabba. Iconic. Majestic. Reassuring- By Tade Oshaloto
The ancient city arguably has one of the most iconic, scenic and ‘humane’ landscapes within the Confluence State and the Middlebelt even. But the alarm that the earth in the middlebelt is fighting for its soul, its strength and its dignity must begin to sound. And it ought to sound very loudly.
The land wants to continue to provide beauty, safety and food. Just as it’s been doing for thousands of years. But there is a band of ploughers, nay, non-ploughers, bearing the sickles of deforestation, intent on stripping her of its dignity, fertility and strengths.
It is hoped that concerned authorities would ensure that there is some abatement in the current spate of deforestation. It’s been an epidemic.
Deforestation has been fingered in the miserly rainfall experienced in some parts of the middlebelt. This has led to no small loss among our farming population, potentially leading to food shortages. The coming year may see a resurgence of EBPW Avengers. God forbid!
I’m no expert in geographical sciences but could an aggressive re-vegitation, reforestation help out? Or, couldn’t it? Could our boreholes-digging political class consider extending their kind gestures to our farming communities and farmsteads so that our dream of food security is not condemned to current vagaries of rain-fed agriculture?
Meanwhile, Nigeria has billions of cubic feet of natural gas. This, according to experts, far more out-volumes our crude oil deposits. Aren’t there some legislative push that can save the day?
That we have to burn off our fingers trying to etch out charcoals to cook our meals when we have abundant amount of gas is another mystery that is yet to be unraveled. Hopefully the present administration, with its seemingly clearer thinking, should be able to address this contradictions soonest.
Tade OSHALOTO anipr, smciism is a Policy Communications Consultant
