Ebonyi Commissioner for Environment Advocates For Forest Preservation

Ebonyi Commissioner for Environment, Victor Chukwu has pledged his support for the sustenance of forestation and its management in the state. The state Commissioner made the promise during the inauguration of Timber Madrid Buyers Association's members at Centenary City, Abakaliki on Saturday. Chukwu described the sustainability of trees as a thing of necessity and pledged support to ensure that the association succeeds in their plan for the planting of more trees as to make the state greener. Medford Nwuruku, Special Assistant to the governor on Environment who represented the state Commissioner thanked the team and enumerated the importance of sustainability of wood as to boost greener environment. Nwuruku said that the association is about curbing illegal wood falling and transportation and noted that their activities has been enacted by the law of Ebonyi state House of Assembly to protect specie of tree from going into extinction. The National Secretary, Timber Madrid Buyers Association, Mr Vincent Igwe said that the association has over the years working to ensure that any tree taking from the forest is replaced and added that the intention is to create loading cluster in the state due to its proximity to seaport. "We tend to create loading cluster in Ebonyi considering it's proximity to seaport so that we have a regulatory loading base as to be able to trace where the timber is coming from and where it's going . "We also wish to develop a timber Economy in Ebonyi state, having seen that alot of timbers have been harvested in Ebonyi and it means that the soil can produce alot of timber and since we have the land we think it's smart for us to develop timber Economy for the state by setting up as much as possible timber plantation while providing a sustainable management around it as to create a legal trade internationally and locally". The Head of forest department ministry of environment, Mbam Fidelis said that the group came to partner with the ministry to curb the menace of illegal falling of trees in the state. He noted that the association would help to boost revenue generation while cautioning them to be law abiding as the ministry would withdraw their support whenever they abuse the existing law of the state. Meanwhile, the state chairman, Timber Madrid Buyers Association, Nwokwu Cletus promised to ensure that the team are law abiding while fulfilling the given mandate in line with the state governor's manifesto of people's charter of needs.