Some experts at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State have called on the people to desist from bush burning. According to them, wild fires do not just start spontaneously, but that somebody must have kindled the fire, saying such practice has many disadvantages than the advantages. They made this assertion while featuring on FUNAAB Radio 89.5FM live interactive programme, Boiling Point. The Head, Directorate of Environmental Management (DEM) of FUNAAB, Mr. Oluseye Ogunlami, said there are various kinds of ecosystems in the soil that would be affected negatively by bush burning, and that no agriculturist, from the scientific point of view, would encourage it. He said Nigerians should be careful of bush burning, especially during the dry season and urged those who run restaurants and canteens around the University campus to be more careful about how they handle fire.
“If you must burn bush at all, you must be extra-conscious during the harmattan period and get all the necessary measures on ground to curtail it or wait until the harmattan subsides”, he added. Mr. Ogunlami further charged the government to increase funding of fire stations and equip them with facilities and equipment to enhance service delivery, stressing that FUNAAB was planning to come up with a Fire Fighting Unit for prompt response during fire outbreaks. Meanwhile, a Chief Agricultural Officer in charge of sanitation in FUNAAB, Mr. James Ojo, lauded the University Management and wants efforts intensified at ensuring that people farming on the University land are guided and sensitised on the dangers of bush burning and its prevention techniques, adding that members of staff should also ensure they switch off all electrical appliances when leaving office to curtail fire outbreaks, as he admonished the government to create more fire stations in strategic places across the country.