Gov. Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has commended the Federal Government for upgrading the Apoi and Edumanom Forests in the state to national parks.
Diri made the commendation on Monday, July 22, 2024, in Yenagoa, the state capital, when Ibrahim Goni, the Conservator-General, National Park Service, visited him.
He said that the state government would support the Federal Government to achieve the intentions behind the upgrade.
“As a government, we shall collaborate with the National Parks Service to develop the newly approved parks in our state,” Diri said.
The governor said that the upgrade had shown that the Federal Government was committed to safeguarding the nation’s forests and the environment at large.
Diri, who expressed concerns that the state’s environment had been devasted by the activities of oil and gas companies, declared his administration’s commitment to environmental protection.
“We are happy that at the end of this long journey, the state now has two of its forests upgraded to national parks.
“My administration places huge emphasis on issues concerning the safety of the environment. We are committed to the protection of our environment,” Diri said.
Earlier, Goni said that the approval was coming after 13 years of waiting, saying, “Remember that the process started in 2011.”
The Conservator-General said the Federal Government was keenly committed to the running of the new parks.
He further said the two new parks had the capacity to generate no fewer than 100 employment opportunities for residents of the state.
Apoi Forest is in Southern Ijaw while Edumanom Forest is within Ogbia and Nembe Local Government Areas.
By Shedrack Frank
