The Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service, NHFSS, has said the assent to the Nigerian Forest Security Service, NFSS, Bill will help President Bola Tinubu achieve his renewed agenda campaign in the area of security.
Commander General, CG, of NFSS, Wole Joshua Osatimehin, disclosed this while appreciating the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio over the passing of the bill into law by the National Assembly.
Osatimehin spoke while addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday.
He described the passage of the bill into law by the Senate as one of the best things that ever happened to Nigeria under Tinubu's administration.
Osatimehin said: “Let me first of all appreciate the Nigerian Senate under the leadership of Akpabio for the interest they have for Nigerians in providing a lasting solution to the country's security challenges over the years.
“For them to have passed the Nigeria forest security bill into law, I think it's the greatest thing to have happened in this administration.
“We want to appreciate them once again for the level of synergy and cooperation that exist between the executive and legislature.
“You all recall that during the electioneering campaign, one of the cardinal points of the renewed hope agenda of our president was to tackle internal security, especially in the forested region as this will give rise and boost the socioeconomic activities of our country.
“We all know what we have been facing over the years in terms of forest security. We see that some farmers have to pay ransom before they can access their farmlands. It's because there is no presence of security in the forested region or bushes to gather local intelligence and disseminate to the constituted authorities.
“We all know that the Nigerian forest is polarized, Nigeria as of today has the least forest police in the world with just 3.8 percent compared to 25 percent minimal that every country forest is supposed to have.
“With this inclusion and incorporation of this bill passed into law which is to empower the forester to work in synergy with constituted authority, it will go a long way to boost the internal security of our forested region.”
