By Fatima Saka
The minister of Environment Mohammed Abdullahi said Rangers undertake the numerous tasks in protecting the diverse ecosystems such as forest reserves, game reserves, Biosphere, Reserves national parks, amongst others, which are critical to environment safety and general wellbeing of the dwellers.
The minister said this on Tuesday in Abuja, as he launched the New National Park Service Regulations 2022.
While commemorating the World Ranger Day, With the theme: “Diversity in protecting the national parks, resources and ecosystem across the country”, Abdullahi said the new regulations act in reaching conditions given by armed forces, with Gazette and the regulation that guards Nigerian Rangers activities inline with carrying out their duties.
It also regulates how they handle firearms within the service and it also provides synergy for additional capacity development by army forces.
” Appropriate measures to assist National Park Service and indeed in the course of their work are currently being taken as an attempt to ameliorate the challenges confronting park rangers and also mitigating the negative effects of climate change.
” Government is doing a lot in this regard such as improvement in the budgetary allocations to the service acquisition of more sophisticated arms, acquisition of modern conditioning equipment such as drones, cybertracker, smarts, etc.
“To assist the surveillance and efficient data collection efforts in capacities of officers and men, through regular paramilitary training, with the support of the military, and other relevant government agencies synergizing with national and international NGOs to provide technical and financial support for the service,” the minister.
He commended the President, Attorney General of the Federation and legislators at National Assembly, the armed forces while he unveiled the ” Federal Public of Nigeria official Gazette, National Park Service Regulations 2022″.
In his welcome remarks, the conservator General NSP Ibrahim M. Goni said a lot of rangers have lost their lives in the line of their duties, while protecting the natural heritage and treasure.
Goni added that in the course of their duties, the park rangers are often confronted with so many challenges like, terrorists, banditry, kidnappers and lack of adequate manpower, among others.
” The total number of 150 rangers have lost their lives in the line of duty between June 2021 to May 2022 across the globe and Nigeria accounts for 2 out of the figure,” he stated.
Also speaking, Prof. Etimbuk A. Essiet who represented the Clerk, Committee on Environment lamented that it is very important to honour rangers who have led in their lives in protection and conservation of forests and the forest resources across the country.
Prof. Essiet commended the efforts of rangers and added that the Senate committee has made recommendations in respect to their welfare, funding and others and that the Senate committee will look at it with passion to ensure that adequate funding is matched to improve your welfare and also compensate for all the risk taken for National Heritage.
