National Parks want inter -governmental synergy to improve service delivery
Collaboration
By Ebere Agozie
Abuja, May 17, 2018 (NAN) The management of National Parks Service (PKS), has reiterated the need for inter governmental synergy to further preserve and conserve the nation’s natural heritage and cultural edifices.
Alhaji Ibrahim Goni, Conservator-General of the Parks said this during his advocacy visit to the FRSC Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, in Abuja on Thursday.
According to him, patronage by government institutions will go a long way in helping to develop the parks to acceptable global standards.
‘‘It will also enhance the revenue drive of the parks, thereby, contributing to the country’s economy.
‘‘We are working to preserve and protect the nation’s natural heritage and the cultural edifices that memorialise them across generations, and if we don’t patronise them, they will go moribund.’’
According to Goni, National parks enhance ecological processes and life support system such as soil regeneration, protection of nutrient cycles, cleansing and purifying hydrological cycles among others.
‘‘And we have taken steps to eliminate any drawbacks as soon as possible and enforce effectively the respect for ecological, geomorphologic and scientific features.’’
He said that since one of the roles of the service was to protect the environment and indigenous genetic resources, it would be upgraded to international standard to enable it to attract more tourists.
Koni said that the country should pay serious attention to its parks because they were capable of generating money for the country.
‘‘In Kenya, visitors pay 100 dollars to sight animals like gorillas, lions, hippopotamus etc, but in Nigeria the reverse is the case.
‘‘Nigerian go abroad on vacations to visit other countries’ parks while we have same in the country; this must stop to reduce capital flight,’’ he stressed.
He called for collaboration with the FRSC for effective service delivery.
He said the service was advocating the support of FRSC in using the parks facilities for their retreats, training of convoy and pilot of the service.
Responding, Boboye commended the Federal Government for upgrading the National Park Service to a paramilitary category, and welcomed the organisation to the club of paramilitary agencies.
‘‘We believe in inter-agency cooperation and you have taken the right step by going around other paramilitary agencies for discussions and areas of collaboration.
‘‘And I want to assure you that from what you have seen today, if there is any area you need support, we will give you our maximum support.’’
According to Oyeyemi, ‘‘for your training we have our academy at Udi in Enugu State and the training school for the inspectorate cadre and the junior cadre in Jos; we can also assist.
‘‘We are working for the same government, whatever you have achieved or FRSC achieved is for the country, we must work together to move the country forward.
‘‘We will train your convoy and pilots, whenever you are ready please let me know and we will organise it; we have trained about 25 convoys so far.
The FRSC boss said the two agencies would work together on the highway codes because drivers must know signs of animal paths and crosses.
‘‘We also need a lecture to guide us on how to handle animals that escaped or strayed from the parks.
‘‘For example if a lion escapes from the park, we need to know the best ways to handle it, or if suddenly a patrol team sees them on a highway how to get them trapped to return them back to where they belong.’’ (NAN)
EPA/MOL/EAL
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Ekemini Ladejobi