Lands Minister Frowns at the High Rate of Deforestation
The Minister of Lands Country Planning and the Environment, Dr. Dennis Sandy (in photo) has frowned at the high increase of deforestation activities across the country.
Dr. Sandy was speaking at the National Conference on the Environment held at Miatta Conference Centre on October 22nd 2018 with the theme “Turning environmental policies into action through innovative solution”.
He said deforestation is very alarming because people are constructing houses without building permit and he vehemently emphasized that until disaster occur before people started shouting. He threatened to use heavy machines to bulldoze any illegal occupant in state lands without going to court.
“Government lands belong to all of us”, he told audience and mentioned that our environment is destroyed by thoughtless people as a result of lawlessness and indiscipline. He stressed that we will never enjoy the peacefulness of our country if we continue destroying the environment and dilated that the idea of access road is something daunting.
According to the Minister, China and other great nations around the world were successful because they ignore some aspects of the rule of law and advanced that Sierra Leone must replicate the same idea for the total growth of the country. He absolutely condemned the indiscriminate dumping of plastic and medical wastes not only in the streets but also in the sea or water. He said if we fail to manage the environment, the environment will manage us and maintained that all illnesses affecting us are caused by our action.
In his presentation, the Minister of Agriculture Forestry and Food Security, Joe Ndanema recognized that his ministry linked to land and the environment and stated that the lands in Sierra Leone are mostly used for agriculture purposes because as our population is growing, the demand for food increases.
He told listeners that the ministry of agriculture has overall mandate and policy to improve best agronomical services and assured that his administration prioritizes President Bio vision to boost agriculture. He spoke about Government determination to reduce rice importation, improve livestock development and diversification of cash crops. He said Government spent two hundred million dollars every year to import rice, a money he said, Government would have utilize to boost health, education and food production in the country.
He explained plan to introduce many varieties to increase yield and deliberated on the important to restore our forest ecosystem adding they would use technology to map our forests nationwide. “We will monitor our forest against illegal activities like timber logging and other indiscriminate behavior. The Minister reiterated that the destruction of forests delayed their mandate to preserve the environment and continued that lawlessness and indiscipline need to be curbed for the protection of the environment.
He spoke on the need to be steadfast and resolute in protecting the environment and concluded by pointing out that many lands have been illegally claimed by certain category of people.
By Abdul S.Kamara
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