July 09, (THEWILL) – Stakeholders in the environmental sector and deforestation activists in Cross River State have posited that the State Government lacks the political will to end illegal logging in the state even as its officials aid and abet the menace.
The stakeholders also express doubt over the classification of the state as home to pristine rainforests in West Africa in view of the depletion of the state’s forest reserves.
This view was expressed by the stakeholders at a one-day conference with the theme: “Multi-Stakeholders Conference on Deforestation in Cross River State”.
The conference was put together by We The People (WTP), in partnership with Panacea for Development and Infrastructural Challenges for Africa Initiative (PADIC-AFRICA), also known as Development Concern (DEVCON).
The Conference drew up a 37-point communique, which was signed by the Executive Director, WTB, Ken Henshaw; the Chairman, Non-Governmental Coalition for Environment (NGOCE), Dr. Odigha Odigha; the Executive Director, PADIC-AFRICA, Dr. Martins Egot; Agba Jalingo Foundation for Investigative and Accountability Journalism, Jonathan Ugbal and others.
The conference said “It identified a lack of political will on the part of the authorities (government) to rise up to the challenges accounting largely for persistent deforestation in the state.
“Worse still, is the fact that government officials allegedly aid and abate illegal logging, that the extent of deforestation and loss of forest cover in the state raises doubts about its current classification as the home of West Africa’s largest bristle rainforest.
“Illegal logging has introduced a new phase of the security challenge, as perpetrators now go about their illicit trade fully armed, to resist every effort to stop them by state or non-state gatekeepers.
“A significant area of the Cross River rain and mangrove forest has been depleted due to illicit or uncontrolled logging. And that the existing legal instruments on forest management are neither strong nor adequate to protect and conserve the forest, thereby exposing it to persistent degradation.
“Forest communities have been marginalized and excluded from decision-making processes due to government policies, exacerbating the challenges faced in forest protection. Besides, communal armed conflict in some areas has further hampered conservation efforts. That there is an urgent need to develop and implement a comprehensive plan to effectively manage the forest and eliminate deforestation.”
They maintained that the solution lies in, among others, “changing the forest structure to also empower forest communities to participate actively in the management process.
“Providing legal recognition and support for community-based forest management initiatives, involving them in the decision-making processes and resource allocation, fostering partnerships between forest communities, government agencies and non-governmental organisations to facilitate capacity building, knowledge sharing, and technical assistance in all forest management activities as well as strengthening forest legislations and law enforcement procedures.
“Reviewing existing legal instruments to ensure they align with international best practices as they relate to forest management. Enhancing the capacity of regulatory agencies responsible for enforcing forest laws, by way of equipping them with the necessary resources, training, and surveillance technologies.”
They also called for active participation in international fora and agreements related to climate change, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development, advocating for increased attention and resources for forest protection in Cross River State.
THEWILL Correspondent, Aniekan Bassey has over six years experience that spans across several fields in print journalism including development communication, sexual reproductive and health rights issues, crime, climate change, social justice, business and human interest stories.
