Category: Politics

Gov. Ben Ayade has expressed his administration’s resolve to legislate against the use of wood for roofing to check deforestation and boost forest regeneration.

Ayade spoke when Ms Elsie Attafuah, the Senior Regional Technical Adviser, United Nations Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD) programme, visited him at Government House, Calabar.

He said: “We are in a process of enacting a new law that will prohibit the use of woods for roofing and encourage the use of steel instead.

“So, very soon when the house passes the law, we will stop roofing with woods and when this happens, the demand for timber will drop drastically.

“As we speak, a company is already on ground to start production of these roofing materials to meet the needs in the industry and reduce the dependence on wood as deliberate plans to save and protect the forest.’’

Ayade also urged the UN “to do away with theoretical work and be more practical in its programmes in a manner that will translate into wealth creation among Nigerians’’.

He said the state government expected the REDD programme to impact in a desired manner on the citizenry, particularly host communities, to the reserved forests across the state.

Ayade said that in the last three years the REDD programme focused only on training and educating people on understanding measurement analysis baselines, safeguards.

He said although the programme was appreciable, “ the time has come when they must reflect on the needs of the people to better their lots.’’

The governor said “REDD PLUS is a plus and so please reflect on the needs of my people. Please fast track this readiness so that we can get into the investment phase because truly, everything REDD has done is wise.

“ What they have not done is that they have not been able to put one tree on the ground, so I don’t know how you want to reduce emissions when you are not focusing on the practical aspect.

“Essentially, REDD Plus is intended to preserve the forest for the good of mankind. So, if that man that you are preserving the forest for has to die of hunger, REDD must be coming too slow.

“So, for me as a governor, a professor of Environmental Science, a lawyer, a combination of all these tells me clearly that the communities are not having a fair deal.

“ The communities are in pain and you must look into this as soon as possible. The ultimate thing is that action must be on ground,’’ he said.

Ayade said REDD Plus still remained a technical issue but added: “We are reducing it to the level where the local community can participate in planting, nursing and maturing trees.

“It is still a process ahead, let us fast track this process and give us a good clearance, so that people truly will enjoy the benefits of the luxury of their forest; let them finally see the reward for conserving and preserving the forest.’’

Attafuah earlier told the governor that she was in the state with her team to commence the implementation process of the programme.

She said the REDD programme would bring the desired benefits to the communities where the project was being carried out.

She said that policy dialogue at the highest level was necessary for the smooth transition of the UN-REDD projects from strategy to implementation.

Attafuah also solicited the support of the state for a successful transition. (NAN)

Gov. Ben Ayade has expressed his administration’s resolve to legislate against the use of wood for roofing to check deforestation and boost forest regeneration.

Ayade spoke when Ms Elsie Attafuah, the Senior Regional Technical Adviser, United Nations Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD) programme, visited him at Government House, Calabar.

He said: “We are in a process of enacting a new law that will prohibit the use of woods for roofing and encourage the use of steel instead.

“So, very soon when the house passes the law, we will stop roofing with woods and when this happens, the demand for timber will drop drastically.

“As we speak, a company is already on ground to start production of these roofing materials to meet the needs in the industry and reduce the dependence on wood as deliberate plans to save and protect the forest.’’

Ayade also urged the UN “to do away with theoretical work and be more practical in its programmes in a manner that will translate into wealth creation among Nigerians’’.

He said the state government expected the REDD programme to impact in a desired manner on the citizenry, particularly host communities, to the reserved forests across the state.

Ayade said that in the last three years the REDD programme focused only on training and educating people on understanding measurement analysis baselines, safeguards.

He said although the programme was appreciable, “ the time has come when they must reflect on the needs of the people to better their lots.’’

The governor said “REDD PLUS is a plus and so please reflect on the needs of my people. Please fast track this readiness so that we can get into the investment phase because truly, everything REDD has done is wise.

“ What they have not done is that they have not been able to put one tree on the ground, so I don’t know how you want to reduce emissions when you are not focusing on the practical aspect.

“Essentially, REDD Plus is intended to preserve the forest for the good of mankind. So, if that man that you are preserving the forest for has to die of hunger, REDD must be coming too slow.

“So, for me as a governor, a professor of Environmental Science, a lawyer, a combination of all these tells me clearly that the communities are not having a fair deal.

“ The communities are in pain and you must look into this as soon as possible. The ultimate thing is that action must be on ground,’’ he said.

Ayade said REDD Plus still remained a technical issue but added: “We are reducing it to the level where the local community can participate in planting, nursing and maturing trees.

“It is still a process ahead, let us fast track this process and give us a good clearance, so that people truly will enjoy the benefits of the luxury of their forest; let them finally see the reward for conserving and preserving the forest.’’

Attafuah earlier told the governor that she was in the state with her team to commence the implementation process of the programme.

She said the REDD programme would bring the desired benefits to the communities where the project was being carried out.

She said that policy dialogue at the highest level was necessary for the smooth transition of the UN-REDD projects from strategy to implementation.

Attafuah also solicited the support of the state for a successful transition. (NAN)

Odey Ochicha

Yes, currently there’s a communal war between the Asiga and Nko people of Ugep; we witnessed it few days back when traveling along Ikom-Calabar Highways and the saga continues as though no effort has been made to stop the crisis.

A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the governorship candidate of the party in the 2015 general election in Cross River State, Mr. Odey Ochicha has slammed Governor Ben Ayade’s silence over the communal war between Onyadama village of Obubra local government area and Nyima and Nko Community of Yakurr local government area of the state.

In a statement released in Calabar, Ochicha accused Ayade of playing dangerous politics by feigning ignorance of the war which is consuming the lives of many ignorant Cross Riverians.

He said, the essence of government was to protect lives and properties of citizens therefore, the Governor has no moral justification to keep mute and allow the two communities to slaughter themselves.

The APC chieftain who maintained that there’s no good war or bad peace, noted that the state Governor must do everything to return peace to the warring communities as lives and properties have been lost during the unfortunate incident.

Odey Ochicha

Yes, currently there’s a communal war between the Asiga and Nko people of Ugep; we witnessed it few days back when traveling along Ikom-Calabar Highways and the saga continues as though no effort has been made to stop the crisis.

A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the governorship candidate of the party in the 2015 general election in Cross River State, Mr. Odey Ochicha has slammed Governor Ben Ayade’s silence over the communal war between Onyadama village of Obubra local government area and Nyima and Nko Community of Yakurr local government area of the state.

In a statement released in Calabar, Ochicha accused Ayade of playing dangerous politics by feigning ignorance of the war which is consuming the lives of many ignorant Cross Riverians.

He said, the essence of government was to protect lives and properties of citizens therefore, the Governor has no moral justification to keep mute and allow the two communities to slaughter themselves.

The APC chieftain who maintained that there’s no good war or bad peace, noted that the state Governor must do everything to return peace to the warring communities as lives and properties have been lost during the unfortunate incident.

The Nigerian Senate has denied purchasing 108 cars for it members, saying only 36 cars were purchased one for each state of the Federation.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Senate Services, Senator Ibrahim Gobir, gave the clarification on Tuesday during a meeting in Abuja.

He told reporters that the Senate decided to purchase only 36 cars which cost about 36.5 million Naira each due to lack of funds.

“I will like to say that the issue that we bought 108 cars is wrong.

“We bought 36 cars and this is because each Senator in each state is either a chairman or a vice chairman and we gave one car to each state to share among themselves as utility car.

“And on the issue of buying cars without appropriation, it is very wrong. This has been appropriated in the 2015 budget and we used what we had in the 2015 budget to by the 36 cars.

“The issue of the cost of the car. The showroom price is 36.5 million Naira and we are surprised. The car we bought is Land Cruiser VSR V8 not V6 and the minimum showroom price is about 31 million Naira and when you put 10 per cent VAT and Tax that will arrive at 36.5 million Naira,” Senator Gobir explained.

Going by the figures given by Senator Gobir the 36 cars cost about 1.3 billion Naira.

There were reports on Monday on the purported purchase of 108 cars by the Senate, with the Nigeria Labour Congress urging the lawmakers to return the cars or face its wrath.

The NLC President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, was quoted by This Day as saying that the purchase of the cars was “wrong and insensitive” in the face of the suffering of the masses.

“We consider as appalling, insensitive and greedy the decision of the Senate to acquire 108 Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles (one for each member, except the Senate president) after collecting ‘car loans’ in August last year for the same purpose.

“It is equally morally despicable and shameful that they are doing this after publicly admitting that the standing committees of the Senate are unable to perform their statutory functions due to the paucity of funds,”Mr Wabba said.

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