From Judex Okoro, Calabar
NGOs Rainforest Resources and Development Centre (RRDC) and The People have raised concerns over varnishing forests in Cross River, calling on the government to preserve the ecosystem.
The NGOs, who made the call at the public presentation of “Vanishing Forests”, a research product on the fast depleting forests of Cross River State, held in Calabar on Monday, said it is high time the government reviewed policies that threaten forests.
Speaking, one of the authors from the RRDC, Odey Oyama, said the state’s forests are fast vanishing and are largely a result of the policies of the government.
According to him, “from permitting salvage logging, to granting concessions to commercial agricultural ventures and carrying out infrastructure constructions that require destroying large sections of the forests, the government has not lived up to its claim of preserving the ecosystem.
“To preserve what remains of the forests, the government needs to cease all further concessions to commercial agricultural ventures near or within the forests.
“It needs to go further to address complaints that concessions already granted have expanded beyond their lines into the forests. Therefore, it is important for the government to re-examine all the infrastructural projects it intends to carry out around forested areas.
“This is by carrying out independent and thorough environmental and social impact assessments, to unravel the ecological, economic and social implications of each Infrastructure project,” he said.
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Also speaking, Ken Henshaw, the Executive Director of We The People, said government policies that deprive the community agency of protecting forests should be reversed.
“While the colonial, regional and state governments saw the forest as a revenue resource, the indigenous people saw it as part of their heritage and existence.
“Government policies that deprive communities of agency in protecting the forests should be reversed and communities encouraged to take initiatives in again protecting the forests”, he said.
The report depicted that about 79 companies and individuals involved in “salvage logging” in the state were uncovered.
The report also indicated that between 1991 to 2001, the state lost 1,514km2 of forest amounting to 12% of its forest cover.
Checks by Daily Sun revealed that activities of loggers in Etung and Boki communities have been on the increase as hundreds of timbers and woods are illegally logged and evacuated out of the state on a weekly basis.
A community source in Boki confided in our reporter that illegal logging has become a booming business and that community leaders, youth groups and even top government officials are all engaged in the timber deals.
A community leader, who identified himself as Emma Abang, said: “These NGOs are just wasting their time. They cannot stop it now because it brings fast cash to communities, individuals and top government functionaries. Illegal timber logging is the most lucrative business, especially in Boki local government area.
“If you pass through Ikom-Boki-Obudu federal road, you would see not less than ten to thirty long trucks loading woods to the eastern, northern and western part of the country. And they move in a convoy without molestation by the so-called forestry commission members and even the forest guards paid by the government. So, what is happening in our forests is devastating and unbelievable in a government that promised forest protection and preservation.”