By Itam Offor
CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – The Cross River State House of Assembly has urged the State Government in collaboration with the Forestry Commission to place a ban on illegal logging of wood across Heritage Monolith sites in the State.
The Assembly also wants the State Tourism Bureau to take over these sites for profitable management.
The House adopted these resolutions after deliberating on a motion sponsored by the Member representing Ogoja State Constituency, Hon. Thomas Aruku.
According to the Ogoja Lawmaker, Monolith Heritage Sites are spread across the Bakor Communities of Ikom and Ogoja Local Government Areas. He listed the locations of these Monoliths to include; Nkarasi, Nnam, Alok, Nde, Nta and Abanyom communities in Ikom LGA and Emmandack 2 and Nfom in Ogoja LGA.
Aruku lamented that the activities of illegal wood loggers pose imminent danger to the natural habitat of the Monoliths, adding that some of the artefacts are becoming defaced, depreciated due to poor preservation, and sometimes stolen.
“It has been observed that over time these illegal wood loggers around the reserved forest of these Monolith sites are stealing the artefacts for commercial purposes thereby eroding the rich culture and tradition of the Bakor Communities,” Aruku lamented.
Contributing to the motion, the Member representing Ikom I State Constituency, Hon. Samuel Neji Abang, emphasised the need for urgent intervention to preserve the Monoliths which he said can boost the economy of the state through tourism.
Other Lawmakers urged the government to strengthen action against illegal wood logging in the reserved forest areas of the state as well as harness the potential of the Monoliths as serious tourist attractions.
In his summary, the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, expressed concern about the matter.
Using Kenya as an example, he reiterated that the tourist sites can boost the State’s economy if they are effectively managed. He added that the Monoliths need to be preserved for the upcoming generations.
