RansackingtheDeploredRikudaForestReserve,KatsinaState Goodevening,ChiefPrefect,KatsinaState, Acoupleofweeksback,IwasopportunetopassthroughKadandaniforest reserveinRimiandKurayedistricts,KatsinaStateduringanEnvironmental ImpactAnalysis(EIA)reconnaissancesurveywithanNGO.Itwasformerly Rikudacommunalforestarea(CFA),andunderittherearefivecommunities– KurayeandYanainKurayedistrict,andtheremainingthree,Kadandani,Karare andMajenGobirinRimidistrict. ItisamongthenumerousforestreservesstartedbyEmirMuhammaduDikko (1905-1944)inKatsinaprovince,beginningfrom 1913,whenhecravedfortheir establishmentsandsubsequentprotectioninKatsinaprovince,andby1930the numbersuddenlygrewtobeover1,923CFA’s.Thecolonialmastersestablished decreesgoverningthesafeguardingoftheforests,butwhentheyleftin1960the entireforestswerebroughtunderdegradationsandencroachmentsofmany factors,mainlytheselling outofsomeportionsoftheforestsmostlyby traditionaltitleholders,saychiefwards. ItisrememberedthatKurayedistrictcametobeon3/8/1992whenfourteen(14) additionaldistrictswerecreatedbySa’iduBardaadministration. Theforestwasobservedtoreallybeindeterioratinglydeplorableanddisgustic conditions.Whatamess. Then,asaforester,anenvironmentalistIhadtogobackanddemandforreasons whytheCFA wasdegradedtosuchlevel.Thatalsotookmesometimeto interviewanddiscusswithsomeofthevillagerswithinthecommunitiesforthe purpose ofcoming up with an administrative advice to Katsina State governmentandotherstakeholders.Wastheforestbeenadequatelymonitored andproperlyconsideredtobesafeguarded? Itwasdiscoveredthatin2003acourtcasewasongoingwhensomenotable figuresintheareabegansellingthelands.…

Governor Dikko Umaru Radda has solicited the partnership and support of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to take the Katsina State Government’s anti-corruption war to the next level. The governor made the appeal on Friday when he led…