Maurice Essien|21 July 2019
The Anti-Deforestation Taskforce is causing ripples across the state as illegal loggers are being arrested on a daily basis! To beat the watchful eyes of the Anti-Deforestation Taskforce who have now developed tentacles across the 18 LGAs, including those ones in hard-to-reach and riverine areas, the loggers have devised new and unusual skills in transporting wood out of our forests, cannot understand how every move they make is easily checkmated by the uncompromising taskforce led by Mrs. Florence-Omon Inyang Bassey.
Instead of loading up in lorries as usual, they now dismantle the seats from passenger vans and load the logs into vehicles that are designed to convey people. Some load up the logs into the buckets of tipping trucks, then pour sand or gravel over the wood to make it seem like they are transporting sand or gravel! But they have met their match in this ubiquitous team that seems to have put an end to the business-as-usual posture that had marked the anti-deforestation turf.
According to the secretary of the taskforce, Mr. Erasmus Ekpang, ‘Some of them load up the stolen wood in 40-ft steel containers to give the impression of moving household goods, motor spare parts, used cars, etc. In fact, some of them have fabricated tankers that are meant to carry fuel into tubes then load the wood into it like petroleum products just to avoid being discovered’. Mr. Ekpang has decried the damage being done to the forest and is urging Cross Riverians to report suspicious movement and abandoned wood.
The Taskforce has arrested more than ten trucks within just a couple of weeks and is set to achieve more as Government continues to motivate them with logistical support and increased security personnel to accompany their operations. Clearly, illegal wood business is profitable and perpetrators have experienced a boom from our common wealth. When the team has 24/7 security personnel detailed to work with them as stopping illegal logging without security is same as catching a tiger by the tail! This is because they will commence arresting perpetrators.
While the anti-deforestation drive continues, it would be recalled that the wife of the Governor, Dr. Linda Ayade recently flagged off the tree-planting campaign in the state to commence the state government’s resolve to carry out a quintuplicate reforestation of our depleted forests. Ever since, she has emphasized the importance of tree-planting by participating in various symbolic tree-planting exercises like her outing with the heads of all UN Agencies operating in Nigeria who all planted trees in Calabar to mark their visit.
Dr. Linda Ayade’s visible commitment to tree-planting and anti-deforestation is to emphasize the importance of this project which is aimed at reducing the effect of climate change in line with the Sustainable Development Goal 13 which calls on all members to take urgent action to combat climate change.
In similar vein, the Governor recently declared 30th July, 2019 a public holiday to mark this year’s Green Carnival/Tree-Planting Day.
