National Park and its Paramilitary Status

Okeh Celestine, Abuja.

Nigeria National Parks established under decree No.46/1999 as a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Environment  currently operates 7 National Parks across the country.

The parks reserved are managed to amongst all hold in trust all the endangered species both in plant and animal, conserve and preserve the fast wildlife and any other related ecological resources that are capable of attracting tourists both locally and foreign as a means of showcasing to the world the natural endowments of our nation not just as an African country but indeed as the giant in Africa.

One of the parks held in trust in Taraba State, Gashaka/Gumti National Park sharing National Boundaries with Cameroun is bigger in land space than two states of this country. The rest are Okomu National Park in Edo, Delta State sharing boundaries with Cameroun, Kainji Lake National Park in Niger State sharing boundaries with Niger Republic, Old Oyo National Park is in the heart of the ancient Oyo Empire in Oyo State also sharing boundaries with Benin Republic, Kamuku National Park is situated in Birni Gwari, Kaduna state, Chad Basin National Park is in Maiduguri sharing border with Cameroun and Niger Republic, Cross River National park is the 7th park. Day to day activities of all these parks is controlled by the National Parks Service as their supervisory body and mother agency.

NPS are the nation’s eco treasure and have the potentials of contributing substantially to the economy if fully developed as obtains in East and Southern Africa. the function of the NPS includes surveillance, patrolling, checking illegal activities of poachers in the parks, enforcement of relevant International treaties and conventions to which Nigeria is a signatory, public enlightenment on the protection and conservation of plants and animals, assisting researchers, searching, and subsequent arrest and prosecution of offenders (NPS Act section 40 (1) and (2). Furthermore, one of the unique selling points of NPS according to the former Honorable Minister of Environment, Mrs. Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia includes the protection life support system such as watersheds and water catchments areas, provision of materials for the development of research in Agriculture, Medicine and bio-technology serving as field laboratories for Nigerian Universities and other tertiary institutions.

National Parks all over the world are classified as Paramilitary organizations to enable them cope with the daunting task of park protection and conservation. Wildlife management is a highly complex, tedious, demanding and very hazardous work. Her rangers trek long distances on rugged terrains and weather conditions to protect the fauna and flora domiciled in the National Parks and in the process risks attacks by both marauding wild animals and armed to the teethes poachers. The Park as over the years of its operations recorded several losses of precious lives of hard working rangers and also recorded series of casualties ranging from various degrees of bodily injuries as poachers now attacks with more vicious and sophisticated weapons.

Haven secured the much needed presidential approval classifying National Parks Service as a Paramilitary agency of Government effective January, 2014, the Conservator General of National Parks Service, Alhaji Haruna Tanko Abubarkar during a courtesy visit to the office of Controller General of Federal Fire Service, has hinted the fire top boss as at then of the Parks resolve to ensure that Officers and Men in all its formations are trained on fire preparedness, combating and fire related disaster emergencies.

This according to the helmsman of the Parks will help his men to be more proactive in their daily operations as fire is believed to be one of the scientific tools a park ranger works with on his daily routines in the management of our natural resources and few fire outbreaks has ensued in the past, so the proposed training is an ample opportunity to equip Parks personnel with required fire combating skills. This may be a reminder to the Conservator General of NPS that such training as proposed has not yet been auctioned as expected.

It was gathered that, National parks in the dispensation of its statutory duties according to its enabling laws has over the years numerous attributes of the paramilitary in the areas of weapons handling(short range fire arms), this is for protection of personnel on duty against the attacks of the wild or the activities of poachers or cattle grazers. 

Also in the areas of arrest of poachers whom they have enough reasons or evidence against to have encroached into their facility and have attempted or believed to have succeeded in killing any of the animals they are holding in trust for Nigerians, they prosecute and ensure justice is served as deterrent to others.

Considering the activities of the poachers who have refused to embrace the animal fattening programs of NPS and the harm such poachers pose to personnel and wildlife endangered species as well as the global best practices, Newsmen were long ago tipped that National Parks Service was getting prepared to gear up its paramilitary status but as earlier mentioned, the experiences are actually there to preserve the wild and its eco system or combat unrepentant poachers and cattle greasers but the park has earlier acknowledge the fact that her men needed to acquire more skills and techniques as they will be equipped with more sophisticated long range weapons and before such is done, it is expected that they are made to pass through rigorous trainings and retraining to man these weapons to befit their new status as that is one of the challenges they are prepared to conquer. 

Conservator General of National Parks Service, Alhaji H.T Abubakar needed not to be reminded of many promises he made to the newsmen during some of the interviews he granted about his zeal and dedication to the paramilitary take off of the park. 

A lots are expected in terms of partnership and collaborations with all security agencies of government at various levels with the aims of ensuring that Government efforts in ensuring that Nigeria becomes one of the most visited tourists centers in the world becomes a reality in no distant time and also in preparedness for the paramilitary take off of the parks, its becomes imperative to embark on this familiarization tour to other security chiefs, NPS cannot continue to operate from its inner shell as of before, a paramilitary status organization should not be shrouded on high handedness and top management secrecy that is designed to self destruct itself when it is expected to open wide her arm in embrace of new realities and challenges ahead.

All things being equal, it seems that the park leadership only wants the paramilitary status just for the pay rise and some few window dressing and ego. A year after presidential approval, it is expected that the park now dorn a befitting paramilitary uniform and ranks, it is expected that the park now start strategizing on how to sensitize the general public about her new dream and vision, it is expected that the Conservator General of the park now dress as a paramilitary chief and no longer like a civilian, more are expected of this organization. All these seems a deliberate attempt at hiding the potentials and prospects of the service for selfish gains and interests and these and more are bane of good leadership qualities expected of everyone at leadership positions in public offices in Nigeria.