By JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU
GENERAL Manager of the Calabar Free Trade Zone, Mallam Sadiq Kassim has picked holes on the ban on logging of wood in Cross River State by the government saying that the ban had promoted illicit logging business and corruption in the state.

Mallam Kassim who stated this in an interview in his office said that the action of the state government had made some companies that deal on woods at the Calabar Free Trade Zone to close shop and put the youths that were employed by the companies to the labour market.

He said, “There are some industries that have been closed down. We want to take over those places and bring in new people to come and continue. For instance, the state government four years ago stopped wood logging.  Inside this FTZ, there are wood processing, furniture making enterprises and they have found it difficult to operate. Some have closed down.”

Condemning the government policy on allowing the movement of wood in the state, he said, “When a policy is designed and brought by government, normally it should be well-thought out.  It should also be discussed among the stakeholders, especially on its implementation.

“A free trade zone like I told you before is an enclave. This means that anything that is hitherto prohibited outside can still be available here. But because the policy that was done was drastic and consuming, it put all the hindrances and road blocks so that stakeholders could not operate.

“So, if Cross River State has banned wood logging and neighboring Akwa Ibom has not, it would then mean that as an investor I could venture into Akwa Ibom and bring in the woods for my business.  But the Cross River State government said no you cannot bring it in from anywhere. That, to us is a drastic measure which was not well thought out,” he said.

The GM argued that such policy should have factored in many other considerations, adding, “Yes the state is interested in protecting the environment and enhancing its natural resources but if Akwa Ibom state is not interested in such a prohibition, it can go ahead with its own wood logging. Then it means I can bring in woods from there.

“What was really the motive of Cross River State government in banning the wood logging? It was targeting the carbon credit it would get from the international community. Now four years down the line, how much credit has the government gotten so far?  How much employment has the policy generated?”

Kassim who wondered where the carbon credit would have taken the state to, further said “The Cross River government instituted such a policy hoping to get some carbon credit whereas the other neighboring states are not interested in such policy.  What that simply means is that the state would be encouraging illicit, underground wood logging business.