By CHARLES IWUOHA

A university don, Prof Christian Madu, has expressed worry over policy inconsistency on environmental issues affecting the country.

Madu, a Professor of Environment Management and Control with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), made his feelings known to newsmen in Enugu on Monday.

The Professor spoke on the sidelines of the ongoing massive felling of trees and deforestation throughout the length and breadth of the country as more Nigerians take to firewood and charcoal for energy for domestic use.

It would be recalled that the recent development is direct fallout of the rise of the price of a litre of kerosene between N750 and N800; while a kilogramme of cooking gas between N850 and N900 nationwide.

According to Madu, there were many reasons for the policy inconsistency in the environment sector of the country but the major problem was that government policies were not synchronised.

“We offer contradictory policies and practices at the various sub-nationals and departmental levels that are different from the central or national policy.

“It will take good leadership to look into how the different units of government can work to achieve a common goal on environmental issues.

“Right now, all the units operate as independent islands achieving their respective agendas to the detriment of the central unit or policy/goal,” he said.

The don noted that it was rather unfortunate that most locals were already resorting to the heavy use of firewood and charcoal for cooking and other domestic energy needs.

He said that this latest development was depleting the nation’s forest resources and eco-system as well as endangering its trees.

“This is setting us back from all the campaign and sensitisation that many of us have conducted to encourage transition to the use of cooking gas as a cleaner energy alternative for the betterment of our environment,” he added.