By Ike Uchechukwu

CALABAR- CROSS-RIVER State Governor, Senator (Prof) Ben Ayade, has disbanded the Anti- Deforestation Task Force, ATF, of the Cross River State Forestry Commission and directed immediate prosecution of all offenders. Timber merchants had accused officials of the ATF of sleazy activities during the tenure of the ex- governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, but he did not take action against the task force, which operated as if it was above the law.

Entrance of Cross River State Forestry Commission

The Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Barr. Tina Agbor, in a statement, said the governor, who was visibly angry, wants the state’s Forestry Commission and the Task Force “to explain to the people of the state how the forest left in their care was so rapidly depleted.”

In another statement three days after, the permanent secretary, Ministry of Information, Mr. Freedom Ejom, said, “Cross River State Governor, Senator Ben Ayade has ordered immediate investigation and possible prosecution of the chairman and members of the state Forestry Commission Board and the Anti-Deforestation Task Force.”

My terrible experience- Chief Edem Ayito

A timber merchant,   Chief Ayito, who spoke to Niger Delta Voice weeks before Ayade disbanded the task force, said life has been a nightmare for him since   7,970 pieces of timber he lawfully harvested from a protected area he acquired at Ekpri Ibami community in Akamkpa local government area were unduly auctioned in bad faith by the task force , last year.

He asserted, “I acquired that place from the village head of Ekpri Ibam community for planting of plantain, cocoa, oil palm and other cash crops but with the trees in the location, my plantain and other things will not do well, I had to fell the trees with proper approval from the Forestry people.”

Seized 7,950 pieces of wood, declared only 2,147 pieces

“In the process of perfecting the documents and waiting for a final charting to come from them, they confiscated my 7,950 pieces of timber; I am baffled that they declared only 2,147 in the court order.  In addition, while the courts were still on strike, they got an Order to sell 2,147peices of timber,” he said.

Chief Ayito added, “I wrote to them (Anti Deforestation Task Force) through my lawyer, Barrister Orchardson Umoh, that the wood belongs to me and all necessary documentation is being processed and that I copied the governor  too. But to my greatest surprise, within one week, they started selling the wood which is contrary to the Cross River State Forestry, CRSF law.”

He said, “Section 68,   Sub section 4 states that the commission may dispose of any items and forest produce, which the owner might have abandoned to escape arrest and it is not found, and remains unclaimed for 60 days,” adding, “They did not even get to Calabar before they started selling the wood.

“Neither did they wait for the 60 days to elapse before selling, not only that, they also got an order while the courts were still on strike,” he further lamented. His words: “They have turned my life into a living hell, the banks are after me, I am selling off most of my properties at auction price just to meet up with my responsibilities, my family is suffering,  my children are almost out of school; I really cannot   believe that such a thing is happen-ing in Cross River state.”

Village head confirms Ayito legitimately acquired forest

Contacted by our reporter, the village head of Ekpri Ibam, Chief Michael Bassey Ako, confirmed that the land acquired by Chief Edem Ayito was not under reserve, but in the protected area, therefore, he had the right to cut the trees and harvest timber. “Before he even started sawing the woods, Edem went to them to get  proper approval and they still turned back to  confiscate the timber from him. What they are doing is illegal and it is not right, they are only using the name of government to perpetrate evil,” Chief Ako said.

Dirty deals since 2009- Akpan

Besides Chief Ayito, another victim and timber dealer at Akim Timber market, Mr Bassey Akpan, also narrated his ordeal in the hands of the group to Niger Delta Voice. He said: “This cartel has been in existence for a long time, they have been doing their dirty deals since 2009. I have lost almost everything as a man. I sold my house and my only truck my children are not even going to school; I am now living on good will from friends.”

He added, “I have left everything in the hands of God, since they collected my money and gave me documents, yet they still came back and seized my wood running into N 14.2 million, how can I ever recover from this?”

Task force forced us out of business- Essien

Speaking on the matter, the president of Timber Dealers Association, Akim market, Akparawa, David Essien, who  commended the Prof Ben Ayade  for not only sacking the task force, but also ordering investigation and vowing to prosecute officials found culpable. “We have been suffocated and exploited in many ways by the task force, take a look at the market, it is almost empty because a lot of us have been forced out of business by ATF,” he said.

Essien asserted, “A lot of my members have died because of what the Anti Deforestation people did during their operation, some lost up to N25 million and we are, indeed, happy that the governor is taking it upon himself to bring sanity to the system.”

They arrest you; sell your timber- Merchants

A timber dealer at Edibe Timber Market, Mr Promise Eso told Niger Delta Voice that  he lost almost everything to  the task force and was happy with the timely action of the governor.

Hear him: “They have been using the task force as their personal business, when they arrest you, they sell the timber without following due process, even if you have the necessary documents they still confiscate your timber illegally and that has been happening since 2009 and they did it with impunity.

Another timber dealer at Akai Effa market, Mr. Victor Bassey, told Niger Delta Voice, “I had to start from the scratch because of what they took from me, I lost everything to their fraudulent activities with fake receipts, extortion, bribery among other things they did to me.” Also speaking, the welfare chair, Akim Timber Market, Mr. Uwem Edimoh Obot, who commended the governor for taking proactive and drastic measure to sanitize the system, said a lot of fraud has been going on for a very long time in the place and was unchecked.