Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State
A concerned indigene of Kano State, Jaafar Sani-Bello, has written a petition against Governor Abdullahi Ganduje over an alleged plan to sell Kano Zoological Gardens.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that Mr Ganduje had recently ordered the relocation of the zoo from its current location in the state metropolis to Tiga town in Bebeji Local Government area, about 60 kilometers from the Kano city, on the premise that the animals hate human noise.
Speaking in a radio chat on Express FM in Kano Monday night, Mr Sani-Bello said he had written to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, World Health Organisation, WHO, European Union, U.S Embassy, among others, seeking their intervention.
Mr Sani-Bello also disclosed that he had created an online petition platform, calling for signatures against Mr Ganduje’s attempt to sell the zoo.
According to him, the petition will also be copied to the state House of Assembly.
Mr Sani-Bello also countered Mr Ganduje’s claim that the zoo would be relocated because wild animals hate human noise.
According to him, the major reason for the government’s decision is to sell the zoo in order to get N16 billion out of the lands to be sold.
He said the 46-hectare zoo would provide over 200 plots of land.
He noted that it is foolish to say that wild animals hate human noise because God had given human beings the ability to rare and fraternize with every species of animal.
While noting that there are different breeds of wild animals, more than 100,000 species of trees and plants in the zoo, Mr Sani-Bello stressed that any attempt to relocate the zoo could result in their destruction.
“There are different breeds of wild animals such as lions, elephants, snakes, rhinos, ostriches and other breeds of animals.
“Apart from these, there are over 100,000 species of trees and plants in the zoo as some of them can’t be found anywhere in the state.
“Trees give us oxygen, store carbon and stabilise the soil and give life to the wildlife. The trees at the zoo help in conducting research and many of them have medicinal properties.
“The trees also act as a physical filter of pollutants from the air and provide shade from solar radiation.
“Apart from animals and birds, there are also insects and others. The fact is that any attempt to close down the zoo means destroying these creatures and robbing them of their natural habitat,” he said.
Mr Sani-Bello disclosed that in the petition, he had asked the UK and USA governments to impose visa restrictions against Mr Ganduje and other government officials who are party to the plot to sell the public property, under the guise of relocating it for the good of the people.
He said the people of the state would not fold their arms to see their assets being vandalized
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