The employment of young people in Cross River State was initiated in 2024, following Governor Bassey Edet Otu’s approval in November 2023 to bolster the severely depleted workforce. Three hundred Forest Guards were recruited and documented; however, 14 months later, they remain undeployed and unpaid.
Meanwhile, four commissioners have completely usurped the responsibilities of the professional staff of the Commission, arrogating those duties to themselves. The Commission has devolved into a cesspool of wheeling and dealing, with revenue accruing to the wrong quarters. As a result, our forests are ravaged by rampant illegal logging, leading to severe depletion and exposing both our State and the West African sub-region to the pernicious and deleterious consequences of climate change.
The Afi Mountain Sanctuary in Boki Local Government Area has borne the brunt of this crisis, suffering extensive damage due to illegal logging and the blatant compromise and dereliction of duty by these four commissioners.
Urgent reform and accountability are imperative to restore integrity, protect our forests, and safeguard the ecological future of Cross River State.
@ Okoi Obono-Obla
Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in this article is strictly that of the author, Okoi Obono-Obla, and does not represent TheLumineNews, its agent or the organization the author works for.