Onuesoke: Delta Govt Should Make Illegal Logging of Trees Punishable Offence
Sylvester Idowu in Warri
The Managing Partner of Onovwerosuoke Foundation, Nigeria, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has appealed to Delta State government to enact laws that will make illegal logging of trees a punishable offence in the state.
According to him, if enacted it will act as a deterrent to illegal loggers, thereby discouraging the act of deforestation.
Onuesoke, who made the call while addressing journalists in Warri yesterday, noted that the indiscriminate illegal logging activities in the state was becoming worrisome.
He noted that though the state is blessed with natural economic trees like Iroko, Mahogany, red/white Afara, iron tree, mango tree and rubber tree among others, the activities of illegal loggers have almost depleted the forest.
Onuesoke observed that truckloads of logs were moving out of the state daily to other parts of the country, adding that the business was also booming in the deep swamp area where illegal loggers arbitrarily deplete the forest reserves without replacing the same.
The former Delta State gubernatorial aspirant maintained that the consequences of illegal logging were devastating on man and the environment hence it was responsible for the impoverishment of the communities that rely on forest resources as their means of livelihood.
“Also, illegal logging is responsible for loss of forest products, biodiversity loss and extinction of some rare species, decline in the function of conserving watersheds, as well as removal of energy from the ecosystem.
“Likewise, illegal logging contributes to the loss of valuable agricultural land and trees, reduction in underground water, forcing out of animal species from their natural habitats, loss of non-timber forest products, and decrease in soil fertility. Persistent illegal logging gives way to flooding and erosion, and pollutes air, water and soil.
“When my organisation, Onovwerosuoke Foundation went into the rural area to sensitise the people on the impact of climate change and deforestation they queried if the Onovwerosuoke Foundation Nigeria is the owner of the land and why should they come and preach climate change to them?” he recalled, just as he explained that Delta State government implementation of a law will curtail illegal logging and poaching of trees the state.
He disclosed that it’s crucial to recognise that forests are not just environmental assets adding that they were also economic powerhouses, stressing that tropical rainforests of Delta State provide a wealth of resources and services that are vital to local and national economies.
In order to minimise the act of illegal logging, Onuesoke appealed to Delta state government to enact law that make it statutory for illegal logging of trees to be punishable offence of minimum of six months in prison or minimum fine of a almost a million Naira, adding that such law will caution the people from illegal logging.
He suggested that it would be of benefit to Delta State to emulate Edo State Forestry, Cross River State, Taraba State and Ekiti State that have enacted state laws whose provisions prohibit illegal logging.
