By Musa Yaro, Calabar
Cross River governor, Prince Bassey Otu, has concluded plans to end the 14-year law on forest moratorium in the state.
Otu hinted that the decision was informed by the loss of revenue to illegal logging activities going on in the state’s rich forests.
The governor said that the state can not continue to allow unscrupulous elements to rob the state of its legitimate earnings from its forest reserve.
He said that the state is repositioning its Forestry Commission, whose constitutional mandate is to regulate forestry activities in line with current trends.
“In Cross River, there has been a ban on logging which has generated so many problems for us, very soon, we will lift the ban and allow the Forestry Commission to carry out its constitutional mandate because as of now, all the wood taken out of the state are stamped in Ebonyi and Benue states, and we want to change the narrative.
“We want all our woods to be stamped here in our state where they are gotten so that government can begin to enjoy the full benefits from its forest resource and we need the cooperation of all the citizenry in this direction.
“I recall vividly when Forestry Commission was paying salaries of civil and public servants in the state and we want to restore that lost glory,” the governor said.
On plans to increase its revenue base considering the dwindling cash inflow, Otu remarked, “In terms of internally generated revenue, we are moving into a new era entirely and some of the ugly trends you are seeing in the name of revenue generation you will see them no more.
“Please be patient with us because we want to capture all government revenue positions to a single treasury account for transparency and accountability.
“The roadblocks are becoming very embarrassing and have caused a lot of problems for us, this is why you cannot find reasonable and consolidated trading hubs here because of multiple charges.
“So, the businessmen wait outside the state for consolidations when in the actual sense most of that produce is from the state. We want to change this narrative as soon as possible, though it has become habitual,”
On the issue of security, the governor said, “We know that after every political cycle, there is usually a sudden rise in criminal activities and other vices but I can assure you that we are already putting workable measures in place to arrest the ugly trend and restore the peaceful state Cross River is known for.
“As far as my administration is concerned, security is one area of concern and I am ready to tackle it headlong to forestall all forms of unrest and to return the state to its status as the safest state in the country,” Otu assured.
