CROSS RIVER State Governor Bassey Otu has banned logging in all parts of the state.
The ban was contained in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Anthony Owan-Enoh, on Saturday, June 22.
“In spite of the forbearance by government on the activities of timber loggers in the state, government notes the persisting refusal and or neglect to keep to the terms stipulated by government for the felling of trees.”
“Consequently, Governor Bassey Otu has suspended further logging activities in the state. Security agencies are to arrest offenders and confiscate any log and machinery deployed thereto,” the statement read.
This comes about a year after the state lifted a previous ban on logging after about 15 years.
Otu had lifted the ban shortly after becoming governor of the state, saying the state was losing revenue to illegal logging activities as woods being cut and taken out of Cross River were being stamped in other states.
He had said the state Forestry Commission would begin to regulate logging activities in the state, but according to the statement by Owan-Enoh, the aim of lifting the ban has not been achieved over the past year, as trees are being felled illegally, even within protected areas like parks.
Owan-Enoh also urged stakeholders within the industry to contact the Forestry Commission in Cross River for further information.
Logging activities have been identified as one of the major causes of deforestation, which can also lead to flooding, especially in coastal areas like Cross River.
The state residents, especially farmers, have been confronted with regular incidents of flooding.
In 2022, several farms, houses and other properties in the state were swept away by floods.
Lives were also lost as a result, and many people were displaced due to the 2022 flooding incident, which affected several states in Nigeria.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via vopara@icirnigeria.org or @ije_le on Twitter.