Two forest reserves in Bayelsa State have been granted national park status by the federal government.
During a courtesy call on Monday at Government House in Yenagoa, Nigeria’s Conservator-General, Dr. Ibrahim Musa Goni, revealed that the Federal Government has approved the renovation thirteen years after the process had begun.
The Conservator-General of Nigeria was reported as saying, “The upgraded reserves are the Apoi Forest in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and Edumanom Forest in Ogbia and Nembe Local Government Areas,” in a statement provided by the Chief Press Secretary to the Bayelsa Governor, Daniel Alabrah.
Goni thanked everyone who put in a lot of effort to get the approval, especially former President Goodluck Jonathan, who changed the National Parks Service’s classification to that of a paramilitary organization.
He stated that the Federal Government is eager to get the new parks up and running and has approved a take-off fund of N5 million for them.
He claimed that both parks will create 100 jobs in Bayelsa and asked the state government for assistance.
Governor Diri responded by expressing his happiness that the forest reserves had been elevated to national parks.
He declared that his administration will back efforts to protect the environment and return it to its natural state, describing it as vital to human survival.
He emphasized that, as a matter of deliberate policy, the federal and state governments must work together to protect the environment. He claimed that the state’s optimism that the federal government was considering environmental issues impacting Bayelsa was revived by the upgrading of the forest reserves.
The previous president Jonathan’s contribution to the National Park Service’s transformation into a paramilitary organization was also acknowledged by the governor.
He noted that because Bayelsa is a unique state with a lot of rivers, boats would also be purchased to help the parks run smoothly.
“As a state, we are pleased that, after a protracted journey, two of our forests have been elevated to national parks,” he stated. Thus, we are grateful to the Federal Republic’s President and everyone else who helped make it happen.
“We are aware that human existence depends on the environment, and the finding of oil and gas has had a disastrous effect on it. It has harmed us, and the ecosystem will go if deliberate action is not taken. Bayelsa is interested in initiatives aimed at protecting the environment because of this.
“We are encouraged that the federal government is paying attention to our environment because of your return visit. It is up to us to keep our environment intact.
We must collaborate between the federal and state governments since environmental issues are very important to us. Because of the unusual topography of Bayelsa, speed boats will need to be provided.
“We are also pleased that approximately one hundred state employees will be working in the new national parks. We, for our part, shall keep working tirelessly to restore our environment to its original state.
The federal government’s upgrading of the two forest reserves has been praised by the state’s commissioner for the environment, Hon. Ebi Ben Ololo, who also noted that it is a positive move.
