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Tag: communities

  • Boroh: It’s duty of communities, govt, oil firms to provide jobs

    Boroh: It’s duty of communities, govt, oil firms to provide jobs

    The Coordinator Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh (rtd), has said it is the duty of communities, the Federal Government and oil companies to provide jobs for youths in the Niger Delta.

    A statement signed by Mr Owei Lakemfa, Head of Media PAP, quoted Gen. Boroh as speaking while addressing the chiefs, elders, women and youth groups of George Town, Okrika, Rivers State at the weekend.

    Gen. Boroh, also Special Adviser to the President on the Niger Delta, said 20 ex-militants were empowered in a cluster co-operative integrated farm by the government.

    According to him, the model farm, which was fully funded by the programme has 30 ponds, one ‘Run-off Earthen Pond,’ 5000 Bird Poultry, including Broiler and Layers, Free Range, Cropping and Processing Sections, Administration and Sales Office, 2 Feed Stores, 2 Implement Stores and one Control Room.

    The Coordinator told the beneficiaries that they have once in a life time opportunity not just to make a decent living for themselves and their families but also to employ a number of the unemployed.

    Gen. Boroh said the cluster farming would impact positively on the beneficiaries and assist them to be employers of labour.

    He said the beneficiaries were introduced to the fish smoking kiln and a multipurpose seafood processor to aid their businesses.

    According to the Coordinator, the introduction to a more effective and efficient technology of fish/seafood preservation and processing had a tremendous impact on their livelihood activities.

    He said the Amnesty Office would further empower the beneficiaries by handing over to them as a start off package, 1000 fingerlings to 2000 post fingerlings,  100 Point of Lay Birds and an additional 200 broilers, 10 Piglets  and a Crop Section: with  Cucumber, Pepper, Pumpkin and Okra.

    The presidential aide said the modern cluster farm for which the Rivers State Government has given a registration as “Okrika Agro Farmers 105 Cooperative and Investment and Credit Society Limited,” would be replicated in other parts of the region.

    Gen. Boroh also visited some individual aquaculture holdings in Okrika funded by PAP.

    Also, the George Town Traditional leader, Chief Akuro George, in his response at the meeting, thanked PAP under Boroh for extending “Federal presence” to George Town.

    George said the project has established a bond between the people and the Federal Government and called for a skills acquisition centre be established by the Amnesty Office in George Town to cater for unemployed youths.

    The traditional ruler, also a former First Vice President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), said “the problem of the Niger Delta is a collective challenge.”

    He urged other federal, state and local government agencies to collaborate for the development of the region and the country.

    The monarch appealed for the completion of roads in the town by the Federal Government intervention agency.

    The Songhai Farms, which trained the beneficiaries and helped them established the cluster farm, said it would spend the next three months to mentor the beneficiaries.

    Its General Manager, Mr Tammy Jaja, said the model farm is based on a zero-waste technology in which the use of waste materials in one section is a critical input in another section.

    The Chairman of the beneficiaries’ cooperative society, Mr Emmanuel Promise, thanked the Federal Government for giving them the opportunity to run a business of their own.

    The Amnesty Programme said it was committed to human capacity development among youths in the Niger Delta as a deliberate step to ensure reintegrate the 30,000 ex-agitators captured under the Amnesty programme.

    The programme, which started in 2009, had sponsored beneficiaries in various skills training in the areas of education and entrepreneurship, automobile engineering, auto electrical, auto manufacturing, auto maintenance, underwater welding, aviation, agriculture, tourism & hospitality and sports, among others.

  • Compensation: Ogun pays communities N21 million

    Ogun State government has  paid N21 million to seven communities in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, whose land were acquired for agricultural purposes.

    Its Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs. Adepeju Adebajo, who presented the cheques to the beneficiaries, said it was the first tranche of payment on the 200-hectare Cassava Demonstration Farm at Owowo.

    Adebajo said the government was mindful of its responsibilities and commitment to the people in order to continually get their support to boost agricultural production.

    “Key to agricultural development is support and cooperation from everyone, Ogun is peaceful and has fertile environment for agricultural practices. We assure you that communities whose lands were acquired will be fully compensated, “she said.

    One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Ambali Amosun, a representative  of Olowo Papa Community, thanked the government for fulfilling its promise, adding that they were in full support of its agricultural production programme.

    Other communities were Kuta,  Gbomolese, Ika Ogunolu, Olowo Ikija,  Kurere and Latoyo.

  • Tension in Kwara communities over alleged demolition

    There is tension in Offa and Erin-Ile communities of Kwara State following the alleged demolition of two buildings belonging to Offa indigenes.

    It was gathered that the buildings, at Oloruntedo community in Egunkara, on Igosun Road, were demolished last Wednesday.

    The sister communities had, in the last 20 years, engaged in violent clashes resulting in loss of lives and property.

    Offa has accused some indigenes of Erin-Ile of causing the current incident.

    Secretary-General of the Offa Descendants Union (ODU) Wosilat Macharthy, who addressed reporters on the incident, said the association petitioned the inspector general of Police (IGP), state government, Police commissioner and Emir of Ilorin.

    “Information within our reach shows that the crime was perpetrated by yet-to-be indentified Erin-Ile indigenes. Our conviction is borne out of the series of intimidation and harassment that have been meted out to indigenes of Offa living in the area.

    “Their actions and conduct, if not checked, could degenerate into lawlessness. There is no gainsaying the fact that Offa is known to be law-abiding and peaceful, and it will not do anything to jeopardise the relative peace currently existing between it and neighbouring communities.

    “Offa people have handled disputes with Erin-Ile in the most matured and civilised way. There has never been a time Offa was found wanting for taking laws into its hands, with respect to the subject-matter.”

    But Vice President of the Erin-Ile Progressive Union (EPU) Raji Jimoh described the allegation as baseless.

    His words: “As far as I know, no Erin-Ile indigene has damaged any property belonging to Offa indigenes.

    ‘’There is a boundary between the two communities (Unity Road), built by the government, and we have not encroached into Offa territory as demarcated.”

  • Flood sacks 12 communities, destroys 3,000 farmlands in Cross River

    Flood sacks 12 communities, destroys 3,000 farmlands in Cross River

    Twelve communities in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River have been flooded, following two days of heavy rain. More than 3,000 farmlands were destroyed.

    The incident, which occurred between September 18 and 19, rendered hundreds homeless, with property worth millions destroyed.

    Mr John Inaku, director general, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), told NAN on Sunday, during an inspection that that more than 1,000 have been displaced and are taking refuge.

    According to him, the state has promised to address the plight of the people.

    NAN reports that some of the communities affected are Bago, Unu, Bagabo, Bakie, Bufua, and Kakwe-Beebo.

    “The deluge of Sept. 18 and 19 has caused massive flooding in 12 communities in Cross River.

    “Property worth millions of naira were destroyed in the process.

    “The flood also destroyed farmlands; banana, cassava, plantain, yam, cocoa and others were affected, with bridges washed away.

    “The worst aspect of the flood is that it also destroyed streams, which served as the only source of drinking water for the people, while the main access road was washed away as a result of landslide,’’ he said.

    One of the victims, Mr Bette Obi, chairman of Cross River Forestry Commission, told NAN that the flood wreaked serious havoc on residents.

    Obi, who said his cocoa and plantain farms were destroyed, appealed to the state and Federal Government to come to their aid.

    “As we speak, our farmlands have been washed away by flood. The streams where we fetch water for drinking has been polluted.

    “We need government’s assistance in our communities to ameliorate our plight,’’ Obi said.

    Another victim, Mr Gabriel Ofre, traditional ruler of Bago community, said that the flood displaced his household, and that his property and other vital materials also gone.

    Ofre appealed to SEMA and NEMA to come to their aid, saying that residents were peasant farmers, who lived on the meagre earnings from their farm produce.

  • Shell, communities disagree on N600m investments

    Belema and Offoi-Ama communities in Kula, Akuku-Toru Local Government of Rivers State have disagreed with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), on the supposed investment of over N600 million for development of the area.

    Women and elders have been occupying the facility, OML25, since Friday after the host communities shut it down for alleged neglect.

    The women said since Shell had learnt how to manipulate them, they would protest and occupy the place till the Federal Government intervened.

    But General Manager, External Relations, Igo Weli, said in Port Harcourt the firm was effective in its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

     He said SPDC invested the amount, adding that about N352 million was used to improve school infrastructure, sanitation and health outreach programmes, walkways and electricity supply in Kula in the last 10 years.

     Leaders of the communities yesterday dismissed the claims, noting that Shell used divide-and-rule in its operation.

    Chief Tamunomiebi Felix,  chairman of Chiefs and Elders of Belema, said if SPDC had invested the money, the communities would not been in a sorry state.

    He said Shell should divest the oil platform to an indigenous firm, adding that the communities will not allow SPDC to operate the facility.

    Felix said: “Nothing has been done for Belema and Offoi-Ama, which host OML25.

    “Shell just announced it has spent over $1,000,000 at Kula. This claim is laughable because Belema community is in OML25 and Kula community is in OML24 and OML55.

    “It is important to note that SPDC managing director has never visited Kula or Belema community operated by Shell, hence the MD’s lack of understanding as to which community he is trying to address.

     “We are informing Shell that we cannot negotiate with them; we can only negotiate with NNPC, PANDEF and the Presidency, who have the capacity to solve our problem.”

     Chief Ibiosuya Sukubo berated SPDC for the claim, stressing that the communities were not happy.

    He said the people would shut down the facility until SPDC leaves the area.

  • BEDC to reconnect Ondo communities

    BEDC to reconnect Ondo communities

    Benin Electricity Distribution Plc (BEDC) has urged Ondo State government to create industrial layout for energy concentration to enable it boost economic activities even as it promised to restore power supply to six Akoko communities under Owo Business Unit of the state.

    The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Funke Osibodu, stated this when she led BEDC management on a courtesy visit to Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), in Akure. She said the company already partnered with the state to boost its economic activity by completing 50 electricity projects out of which 31 had been commissioned while 17 others await commissioning.

    She said dedicated projects will increase production capacity of industries due to cost reduction as BEDC power was cheaper than any alternative power supply, adding that it will also make them create more jobs for indigenes. She assured that BEDC will make more power available for economic development and job creation in the state.

    Osibodu also noted that BEDC community relations department was set up to ensure proper relationship management of all communities within its network hence the resolution to make power available to six communities had reached the final stage and the six communities would be energised having fulfilled the terms of the agreement signed.

    The BEDC chief urged the state government and other stakeholders to join in the crusade against vandalism of the company’s property, adding that BEDC has taken some steps such as fencing of transformers to prevent destruction by vandals.

    She stated that BEDC has through employment of graduates and technicians of Ondo State origin under its Graduate and Technician Trainee scheme supported youth empowerment with a view to reducing youth restiveness in the state. In addition, the partnership with Elizade University in Ilara Mokin on the graduate training programme has also empowered a university within the state.

    Osibodu also called on the governor to ensure that that there was review in the curriculum of tertiary institutions in Ondo State such as university, polytechnics and technical colleges to make their content align with industries and companies’ requirements so as to make it easier for students to use when employed.

    Chief State Head, Ondo State, Olakunbi Labiyi, listed key challenges in power supply to the state to include major transmission limitations restricting quantum of power delivery to the state. He said the “132KV lines from Oshogbo to Akure with undersized conductor covers Ondo and Ekiti States with maximum power pegged at 50 megawatts (Mw), while the feeder is often open by Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) under frequency condition and kept out until the frequency improves.”

    He called for the quick replacement of failed 60MVA power transformer in Akure TCN, and urged the government to intervene and ensure speedy completion of the on-going 330/132/33k transformer under construction along Akure/Owo Road.

  • ‘IDPs to remain in camp till communities are safe’

    The Presidential Committee on North East Initiative (PCNI) has said Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are still in camps because some of the communities they should return to are not safe.

    The IDPs will remain in camps until their communities become safe and habitable, the committee added.

    The committee’s Vice Chairman Tijjani Tumsah, spoke to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. He said the committee will allow IDPs return to their communities “only when it has been certified safe for return”.

    His words: “Efforts are on to rebuild and restore homes of the IDPs, and they can only return when all those places are safe; the number of people returning to their communities is of course increasing.

    “As we have more military successes, people now move back to their homes. We have to continuously prepare to ensure that once they get back home, they are safe and can resume their livelihood.

    “Most of the people are farmers and farming resumption requires that you are safe. When you go to the farm, a lot of these areas are still not safe for that to happen; so they continue to stay in camps.”

    Tumsah hinted that the committee was considering creating new settlements in secured areas since the number of people returning to liberated communities was increasing.

  • Lafarge trains host communities on cement; offer employment

    Lafarge trains host communities on cement; offer employment

    In its continued bid to further impact on its host communities, building solutions provider, Lafarge Africa Plc, has concluded arrangement to further empower indigenes of its operating areas.

    To this end, 15 youths from Ogun, Gombe and Cross River states have been enrolled in the maiden Cement Professional Technician Programme (CPTP). The programme involves the training of youths in the cement manufacturing process.

    The three-year all-expense-paid residential programme includes training in mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and automation technology, cement manufacturing process and entrepreneurship. The selected youths will receive practical and theoretical training at Lafarge Africa’s state-of-art centres and plants in Ashaka, Ewekoro, Mfamosing (Calabar) and Sagamu. Participants who successfully complete the training will be offered automatic employment within Lafarge Africa.

    The Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainable Development Director of Lafarge Africa, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, at the launch of the programme at Ewekoro, Ogun State, said the initiative will increase the local content of Lafarge’s operations in the country and also bridge the skills gap in the cement industry.

    She explained that the programme is in partnership with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the National Consultative Assembly (NECA); the certificate awarded after the programme is accredited by National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and is valid for admission into any Nigerian university.

    Ambrose-Medebem, who represented the Lafarge Africa’s Country Chief Executive Officer, (CCEO), Mr. Michel Puchercos, noted that the Cement Professionals Training programme is a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative hinged on the firm’s five pillars of health, safety, education, infrastructure as well as clean environment.

    Shedding more light on the programme, the Health & Safety Director, Lafarge Africa, Mr. Graeme Bride, noted that the selected youths will be trained to imbibe the culture of “Safety First” as it operates in any Lafarge facility.

  • End of thirst in Kaduna communities

    End of thirst in Kaduna communities

    28 communities in eight local government areas of Kaduna State now have potable water thanks to the revival of the state’s water treatment plant, reports ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE

    Providing clean water for Kaduna State was a tough nut governors of the state could not crack, but not for want of trying. In 1999, then  governor Ahmed Makarfi sought help from the Federal Government to rehabilitate and expand the Zaria water supply scheme. The plan involved, among other things, reviving the state water works, building a big dam and reservoirs and installing transmission pipelines.

    The Federal Government awarded contracts for the construction of a dam and the rehabilitation of the existing water treatment plants of 50 million litres and 10 million litres daily  respectively which were operating below 30%.

    The  administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo awarded the contracts but the projects suffered budgetary constraints and were not completed on schedule.

    Eventually the late President Musa Yar’Adua introduced the Water Exit Policy, transferring the rehabilitation of the water treatment plants to Kaduna State when it was about 80% completed. Similarly the construction of the 150 MD water treatment plant and the service reservoirs became the responsibility of Kaduna State government in addition to the pipeline distribution network rehabilitation and expansion.

    The administration of Governor Namadi Sambo in its turn awarded the contract for the construction of 150 MLD water treatment plant at the total cost of N15.7 billion. The 150 MLD water treatment plant was then billed to be completed in 2011. During the administration of the late Governor Patrick Yakowa, the contract was revised upward and it also suffered delays as a result of the killing and the kidnapping of a foreign personnel of the contractor. Yakowa made frantic efforts to refocus and continue implementing the project.

    Yakowa’s successor, Ramalan Yero equally promised to complete the contract, saying his administration would remain focused and committed to complete (i) the construction of a new 150 MLD water works, (ii) construct the transmission mains and service reservoirs and (iii) to rehabilitate and expand the pipeline distribution network and sanitation facilities.

    However, the project under Yero was rather trailed by allegations and counter allegations from different quarters that the project had been abandoned and that officials of Kaduna State government were enriching themselves at the expense  of the masses who had been waiting to drink potable water.

    A group of Zaria residents then alleged that the water projects were abandoned and without value to them, since they still depended completely on commercial water vendors popularly called ‘’Mai ruwa’’.

    In his turn, the first thing Governor Nasir el-Rufai did was to pay an unscheduled visit to the project site in Zaria and directed the contractors handling the Zaria Water Works projects to present comprehensive details of the project to the new government.

    The governor said the water project had already gulped billions of naira, yet it is years behind schedule.

    “We are here to see things for ourselves. The Zaria water project has been on for years without producing a single drop of a water. We must work hard to see its successful conclusion”.

    Reiterating his commitment to the realisation of the project, the governor said, “by the power of almighty God and support of the people of Kaduna State, we will break the Zaria water project jinx and bring potable water to Zaria town and the surrounding local government areas captured in the project design.

    “We have directed those handling the project to come forward and give us comprehensive details and the progress report of the project. The non-completion of the project is causing prolonged hardship for our people. We need to solve the problem,” he said.

    On May 27 El-Rufai delivered his promise, as Acting President Yemi Osinbajo inaugurated the 150 MLD water treatment plant.

    Present at the occasion was the former Vice President of Nigeria, Architect Mohammed Namadi Sambo, who started the construction of the water projects, while he was the governor of the state.

    The Acting President who was represented by the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie Oyegun described El-Rufai as a good example of what APC government stands for, saying that, he has completed within two years, a project that had been in slumber for 16 years under the PDP government.

    He said APC means well for Nigeria and it means business in the attempt to deliver its promises. He therefore urged people of Kaduna State to remain consistent in their support for the El-Rufai and President Muhammadu Buhari’s government and remain consistent in their prayers for the President’s quick recovery.

    Earlier, Governor El-Rufai in his keynote address said, the water need of Zaria metropolis and the surrounding local government areas per day was put at, 140 million litres per day, while the old water treatment plant, which was built by the colonialists could no longer cater for the population’s needs.

    El-Rufai said the Zaria water project is the beginning of a new phase in water works development and renovation in the state, as other water works scattered all across the state will continue to receive the attention of government.

    He said the Zaria water works was installed in 1939 with an initial capacity of 10m litres and is currently not functioning, pointing out that, in 1975 it was upgraded to 50m litres but the operating capacity of both the two cannot meet the 140m litres per day need of the people of Zaria and environs.

    He said it was on that basis and the projection that the water need of Zaria and environs will grow to 220 million litres per by 2025 that, his government decided to give priority to the Zaria water works projects to address the perennial water problem once and for all.

    El-Rufai said, commissioning of the 150 million litres daily treatment plant will immediately address the water needs of the about two million people spread across Zaria, Sabon Gari and six other local government areas within the Zaria environs

    Acknowledging the presence of the former Governor and former Vice President Namadi Sambo, El-Rufai said, Sambo was invited to witness the end result of the visionary project he left behind.

    He said, Sambo’s foresight and contributions to the projects, especially getting the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and African Development Bank to finance several components of the water projects cannot be ignored.

    “Therefore, we have invited the former Vice President and Governor of Kaduna State here to witness completion of the project he started. Our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari has always told us that, we should place governance over politics. That is why we have carried on properly with the projects we inherited and we are irrespective of our political differences honoring the initiator of this project”, El-Rufai said.

    Meanwhile, former Vice President Namadi Sambo in his own remarks stated categorically that, five years after he left office as Kaduna State Governor, his successors (Late Governor Patrick Yakowa and Mukhtar Ramalan Yero) failed to make significant progress in the water project until the coming of Governor El-Rufai, who has completed the 150 MLD water treatment plant.

    Sambo however stressed that, he was not surprised with El-Rufai’s performance, as his encounter with him back in the early 80s when the Governor floated his Quantity Surveyors firm, El-Rufai and Partners proved El-Rufai as a man who will always deliver.

    Also speaking at the event, the Emir of Zazzau, Alh Shehu Idris said the completion of the Zaria water project by the administration of Nasir El-Rufai was a dream come true. “It is my dream to see this day becoming a reality. Thank you Mr Governor for making my dream come true”, he stressed.

    Earlier, the state commissioner for water resources, Alh Suleiman Aliyu Lere disclosed that the foundation of the Zaria water project was laid by the former governor of the state Namadi Sambo in 2008 at the cost of N15bn and was later reviewed to N24bn due to other exigencies.

     

  • Communities seek support to conserve Cross River forests

    Communities seek support to conserve Cross River forests

    Forest communities in Cross River State have called on government and international donor agencies to develop their areas and provide alternative sources of sustenance so they can reduce their dependence on the forests.

    They made the plea when the Wise Administration of Terrestrial Environment and Resources (WATER) with support from Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and Mainyoito Pastoralist Integrated Development Organization (MPIDO) organized one day capacity building workshops on climate change mitigation for each of five forest communities in the state.

    The communities are Etara, Ekuri Eyeyeng, Okokori, Agoi Ekpo and Agoi Ibami.

    The communities complained that despite preserving the forest for years, nothing profitable has come to them as a result of that.

    Village Head of Etara in Etung local government, Ntufam Edwin Ogar, who expressed gratitude for the training, said, “We need the government and foreign agencies to give us assistance.  Our people are ready to conserve the forests, but we need help. We also call on our people not to go into farming again to protect wildlife too that contribute to the sustenance of the forest. If the government and agencies give us support, most of our people would not indulge in these logging and hunting.

    “The message I have for my people is make a way and put what we have learnt into practice and government should also create a way that people would no longer be interested in logging and hunting.

    “If you talk of carbon credit, many of our elders have died keeping this forest. We have been waiting and waiting. Never a time have Etara or any community received anything. In respect of that if they are willing to help us, we need support.”

    Prince Simon Ogar Ifere indigene of Etara said they keep hearing that communities who preserve their forests benefit from carbon credit fund, but for them it has not been the case.

    Ifere, a retired civil servant who has retired to rural life to farm cocoa, said extreme poverty in the area had forced some people to exploit the forests, even to their own disadvantage.

    “I am impressed with the opportunity given to the people by this workshop. Long ago we didn’t know that preserving the forests and the plants in the forests would be of benefit to our lives. It is from these lectures that we have realized that these plants need to be preserved. They help a lot. They check a lot of negative things that would happen to man and I am praying that my people having heard this should abide to the instructions and learning we have gotten into. It is a good thing.”

    Also a retired National Park Service Officer, Mr Hart Urom, “If we can get ourselves engaged in other activities that would reduce pressure on the forest, it would be very good. How can we achieve this? May be the community people can have incentives, something like soft loans or whatever to bring them out from the forest, then there would be a better chance of conserving these remaining forest we have now.”

    Officer on Climate Change for WATER, Agbor Agatha Owor, said the issue of climate change was exacerbating that is why the whole world is trying to see how it can be tackled.

    “We have come here to create an awareness on forest conservation in order to reduce climate change. The participants are indigenous people who still have forests all over the community, so we start from the grassroots to educate them on the causes of climate change, its effects and also how theycan mitigate climate change.

    “In order to mitigate climate change, WATER taught the communities to conserve the forest as well aspractice sustainable agriculture, land use planning and agro-forestry and the beneficiaries are willing to put these into practice and seeks enabling supports to keeptrees standing to absorb carbon, minimize release of carbon and reduce climate change. WATER also taught them sustainable forest management to ensure wise utilization of resources, storage of carbon, reduction of climate change and availability of forest resources for the sustainable development of the present and futuregenerations yet unborn. Gladly, the beneficiary communities have realized that the conservation of the forest is for their own good as well as protection of wildlife that is critical in the dispersal of fruits and regeneration”.

    She said that: “Without biodiversity  and ecosystems, no human being can survive on mother earth. So the communities that WATER have trained are ready to reduce deforestation and ready also to practice reforestation programmes so that we can regenerate the forests and reduce climate change.”

    Programme Coordinator, WATER, Chief Edwin Ogar, said in working with the five communities, the challenges mainly faced are the issues of poor social and economic activities of the communities, which has led to intensified agricultural activities in forested areas.

    “The communities are complaining that they are poor and the only way to survive is to cut down the forest and cultivate food crops for them to survive and sell to earn an income. I appeal that both government and the donors should do something because these communities are within sensitive areas of Cross RiverState. They are situated in the forest belt. They still have the remaining forest in Nigeria”.

    “I appeal that government should do something very positive as well as the donors to intervene in these areas to provide social and economic incentives as to reduce the amount of pressure on the forest for farming and logging. Even though there is a ban on logging, people are still logging all over the whole place, which is another challenge. Another key challenge is that the communities see the government as not living up to expectation because they have not done what they feel the government should do. You go around the community you cannot feel the impact of government and they are complaining bitterly and even saying they would destroy the entire forest if government does not do anything for them. We have educated them that destroying the forest would also help to impoverish them and they seem to understand in that line. But there is need for government, international agencies and NGOs also to come around and support these communities so they can do something else to relieve pressure on the forest ecosystem,” Ogar said.