Climate change: stakeholders urge Bauchi to hinge tree planting on staff promotion

By Rauf Oyewole

Climate change experts and stakeholders have advocated for tree planting as part of promotion requirements for Bauchi State workers. 

The Bauchi State Government during a two-day dialogue on climate change policy, supported by the Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP) and OXFAM Nigeria recommended in a communiqué that tree planting should be hinged on worker promotion.

If accepted, workers would be mandated to plant and nurture trees before qualifying for their next promotion as part of measures to reduce the impact of deforestation. The recommendations was submitted to the government for implementation.

The dialogue was held on Thursday to formulate climate change policy where the state could address some of the effects of climate change. One of the recommendations was for the government to “introduce the planting of trees as a means or condition for promotion of both state and local government employees.

“Remediation measures must be put in place for miners in their mining area before renewal of their mining license. Promote the use of energy efficient mass transportation. Replacement of uprooted trees in any housing or infrastructure 

development site. Enactment of laws to regulate the indiscriminate drilling of boreholes, against the fear of underground water contamination and seismic activities.

One of the speakers, Dr. Micheal Terungwa David, said that 2023 was the hottest year on record – and it could also be the coldest we’ll ever see again, adding that 2024 has already broken that record.

David warned that if urgent measures are not taken, excessive heat and downpour stand as potential threats to food security. He urged the government and other stakeholders to invest more on climate change mitigation. “In recent experiences, we could see hundreds of thousands of farmlands were washed away by flood. 

“We need to reduce the indiscriminate felling of trees and encourage afforestation. Our survival is threatened,” he said.

The Governor, Bala Mohammed who was represented by the commissioner for housing and environment, Danlami Kawule, said that his administration is ready to support climate policies.