By NABILU BALARABE

Desertification has forced several communities in Yusufari Local Government Area of Yobe to flee their ancestral lands.

Alhaji Baba Aji, Executive Chairman, Yusufari Local Government Council, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu on Friday.

He said that sand dunes had taken over lands and houses in the communities, rendering the areas inhabitable for both humans and animals.

“Desertification has driven many people out of their origin. Some of these people are now taking shelter in Kaska village.

“When you go to the affected villages you will see the dunes still advancing closer to houses.

“This situation forced some of them to migrate to Nguru town.

“Other areas affected by the sand dunes are Tulo-Tulo and Bula-tura, two towns bordering Niger Republic.

“Our people are facing the danger of extinction,” Aji decried.

The chairman expressed concern that the dunes would soon encroach on an oasis, a critical water source in the area, if urgent measures were not put in place to halt the menace.

“Sand dunes are encroaching on the oases, which presents a beautiful picture amidst the harsh desert conditions.

“It is a clear and present danger to the economic livelihood of the people.

“People grow sugarcane, tomatoes, cassava, groundnuts and even potatoes on the oases during dry season. All these activities are now under threat.

“If the oases is allowed to dry up, hundreds of people will lose their jobs and be condemned to economic hardship,” he said.

Aji noted that efforts made by the local and state governments, the Great Green Wall project and non-governmental organisations, were good but did not yield the desired result.

The chairman, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government to establish shelter belts in the area to hold back the sand dunes.

“I am appealing to the Ecological Fund office and the Federal Government to declare a State of Emergency on desertification in Yusufari local government.

“We need shelter belts to hold back the sand dunes from advancing. I am proposing a programme of sand dunes fixation, which entails tree planting to protect the land.

“The sand dunes fixation should be speedily executed to prevent the dunes from taking over the oases,” the LG boss stressed.

On the Agriculture Empowerment Programme of the state, he lauded Gov. Mai Mala Buni for allocating mini farm machinery and other farm inputs to the area.

“The equipment, fertilizer and improved seeds given to the farmers came on time, when they needed them most.

“With the timely distribution of the inputs, we will have a bumper harvest this year, Insha’Allah.

“However, due to torrential rainfall this year, we experienced flooding and erosion, leading to the collapse of buildings and destruction of farm produce.

“We took a delegation from the governor and SEMA to where buildings collapsed, and we are expecting assistance from them any moment from now. (NAN)

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