He noted that “no one can enter a community and mine without the help of the community,” reiterating the failure of the REDD+ project.
By Archibong Jeremiah
The Chairman of Cross River State Forestry Commission, Hon George O’Ben Etchi has revealed that “the 260-kilometer Calabar-Katsina-Ala Superhighway project of the Ben Ayade administration was a smokescreen to take wood out of the state.”
O’ben-Etchi, former House of Assembly member and Commissioner for Solid Minerals and Social Housing made the shocking revelation in a roundtable discussion focused on fostering strategies and collaboration for protecting the forests by We The People. The event was held Thursday at Jade Hall, Metropolitan Hotel Calabar.
The roundtable brought together experts, public officials, conservationists and community stakeholders to have a critical conversation aimed at identifying the drivers and emerging trends in forest and wildlife loss.
It also examines the effectiveness of the current government forest management strategies and identifies opportunities for support and partnerships to check the situation.
President Muhammadu Buhari in October 2015 launched the 260-kilometer Calabar-Katsina-Ala Super Highway road project by performing the groundbreaking ceremony. Till date, the project is yet to be completed.
Recall that the current administration of Sen. Bassey Edet Otu lifted the 14-year moratorium on logging in the state and dissolved the anti-deforestation task force in August 2023.
The Forestry Commission Chairman chided the moratorium stating that it contributed to deforestation because “there was no strategy put in place to check what was happening.”
He noted that “no one can enter a community and mine without the help of the community,” reiterating the failure of the REDD+ project.
Earlier, Mr Odigha Odigha, former Chairman of the State Forestry Commission set the ball rolling for the roundtable discussion.
Weeping about the state of things Odigha, a Goldman Environmental Prize winner said “It’s better to talk than go into fist fighting.”
Furthermore, “We’ve never had it this bad as we have it today. Logging is going on everywhere in Cross River State.”
He maintained that the people must work with the government to achieve the desired outcome. “This is not a blame game, the government alone cannot solve the problems.” Odigha maintained.
Other stakeholders who spoke called for all hands to be on deck.
Earlier in his welcome remark, Mr Ken Henshaw, Executive Director of We The People posited that “Our forests are diminishing, in the past 9 years we have had unprecedented forest loss.”
He warned that “Our forests have been commodified, we need to deal with the commodification of our forest.”
Ken enjoined the participants to speak freely as all contributions are vital to solving the problem.
A communique will be prepared from the roundtable discussion.
