Ogbere Unfolds His Motive For Sponsoring Forestry Bill . Environment Ministry decries indiscriminate logging in Bayelsa
By Majesty Inegbagha
The Deputy Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon (High Chief) Michael P. Ogbere has unveiled his reason for sponsoring forestry bill for the state.
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| Hon (High Chief) Michael P. Ogbere, Deputy Speaker |
Speaking at a public hearing of the bill on Thursday, organized by the House Committee on Environment at the State House of Assembly Complex, Yenagoa, Ogbere decried the indiscriminate logging in the state, which even includes economic trees such as Ogbono, Kola nut and Bitter kola amongst others which provides means of livelihood for the people.
He added that the loggers have extended their unwholesome practice even to the mangrove trees,
a scenario he said could be blamed on community leaders, the local government chairmen and councilors failure to fulfill their duties of safeguarding the forest.
Shedding more light on the bill, the stated that" The essence of this bill is to protect our environment. We need to restore the dignity of our environment. Everything in our environment is gone because we fail to manage our environment.
This could be blamed on community leaders, the local government chairmen and councilors failure to fulfill their duties of safeguarding the forest.
As a result, we are bringing foreigners, people from different states to pay small amount of money for a year to enter the forest and work. And because they have paid money for a year, they enter the forest to finish the trees in the forest."
Ogbere bemoaned that even the small trees growing up were not allow to remain in the forest, stressing that if the current trend is allowed to continue without adequate measures put in place to protect the forest, it will lead to it extinction; and that was why he sponsored the forestry bill 2025.
He also appealed to the stakeholders to do justice to the bill so that when pass and signed into law it would help to protect habitats, prevent deforestation, and promote biodiversity conservation.
In his opening speech, the Chairman House Committee on Environment and member representing Ekeremor Constituency II in the State House of Assembly, Hon Mitin Living Ebibaekebina expressed profound appreciation for the large turnout of stakeholders.
The lawmaker outlined the importance of the bill stating that it will bring about sanity to the level of deforestation that is happening in the forest.
He enjoined stakeholders to look critically the content of the bill, and make their observations and input so that when pass and signed into law, the state would have a law that will give the enablement to guide and protect our environment rightly.
He also urged the stakeholders to submit their position papers on the bill to the committee to enable it produce a good forestry law for the state.
In his comment on the bill also, the member representing Southern Ijaw Constituency 3, Hon Marlon Moses deplored the extinction of some vital birds and animals in our terrain due to the effects of deforestation cause by indiscriminate logging.
The legislator highlighted the importance of trees to the elongation of human beings span life, pointing out that the trees absorb polluted chemicals in the air and produce the good oxygen we breath.
“Trees play a significant role in absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and provides good oxygen we breath. This bill sought to promote sustainable forest management practices that enhance carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
He therefore called on the people of the state to preserve our forest to enhance the existence of vital animals and birds for future generations to see in our forest.
In his remarks, the Honourable Commissioner for Environment, Ebi Ben Ololo, deeply expressed concerned about the escalating rate of illegal logging activities within the state's forests.
He emphasized the need for sustainable forest management and conservation to protect the environment.
The Commissioner lauded the leadership of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly led by Rt. Hon (High Chief) Abraham Ingobere, Speaker, and sponsor of the bill, Hon (High Chief) Michael P. Ogbere and others for supporting the bill aimed to address the forest challenges in the state.
The commissioner regretted that the current forestry law the Ministry was using for operation is very obsolete about 20 years ago, and expressed optimism that the 2025 forestry bill when pass and signed into law would accord the Ministry the power to discharge its statutory duties effectively to protect the forest.
The Commissioner also emphasized on the importance of the trees, observing that that the active role trees play in our lives, human beings and machine cannot do.
This, he said is because " the trees suck in the dirty air and energy around us and give back clean oxygen for us to breath."
He said the Ministry had earlier shut down the forest because a survey carried out established that 90 percent of our woods that have being felt are carted away out of the state leaving only 10 percent left for construction works and other activities in the state.
He pointed out the authority granted the Ministry over control of the forest.
According to him "section 20 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Constitution as amended under the objectives and directive principles of state policies, outlined the state responsibility to protect and improve the environment including the forest.
Ololo outlined the dangers pose to the environment arising from indiscriminate logging in our forest without permit and authorization from government.
He explained that the hazardous effects of indiscriminate logging have equally worsen climate change effects and threaten biodiversity and loss of wildlife and habitats.
The worse of this, he added that some community leaders support the act of even logging pre-matured trees because of economic benefits for selfish reasons.
Stakeholders, while supporting the bill also raised several important issues for consideration in the bill.
They called for balance approach that would not stifle economic activities of the people at the community levels.
Also, they stress the need for the lawmakers to look into the bill critically by ensuring fairness and transparency in the licensing process by the Ministry of Environment.
They also called for protection of the rights and livelihoods of forest dependants of the population.
The public hearing attracts large turnout including a representative from the state council of Traditional Rulers, HRM King Sufadoh Boloyi Sufadoh, Embareba V, the Pere of Kumbowei Kingdom, the Secretary House Committee of Environment and State Chairman, Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), Comrade Ekakara Ebiotu Peres, the local government Chairmen, Environmental Advocate, Morris Alagoa, Members of Civil Society Organization represented by Mr. David West, Environmental NGOs and the Executive Director Beautiful Trees 4 Better Future Initiative, Chief (Dr) Okolo Bartholomew who advocated the establishment of forest regeneration brigade amongst others.
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