NGOs Sensitise Communities On Preservation Of Rain Forests — Chairman

The Chairman, NGO
Coalition for the Environment, Dr Odigha Odigha, has  said that over 50 Environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) were sensitising communities in Cross River State on the preservation of rain forests.
Odigha said this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
The sensitisation was coming in the wake of the protest against the commencement of the construction of the Cross River Super Highway.
The Super Highway is planned to link the state with Benue through Katsina Ala.
It is passing through forests of over 535,000 hectares of land, which is about .5535 million hectares of football fields.
According to him, the communities are being enlightened on the need to preserve their abundant rain forests.
He said that NGO Coalition had 37 members alone, while others have been working with some communities on different environmental issues.
“Sensitising the communities is ongoing with NGOs in Cross River, especially now that the rain forest is being threatened.
“In as much as the communities welcomed the development, it is not the developments that will destroy the forest.
“Communities are just exhibiting their disguise and resistance about the development as they are baffled and startled.
“These are land grappling activities and it is not done anywhere.
“Dispossessing people of their land is equal to passing a death sentence on them,’’ he said.
Odigha said that the NGOs were also seeking audience with the state government, to further deliberate on the issue and find a solution that would not harm the rain forests in the area.
He said that the NGOs were also monitoring to ensure that construction work stopped, as directed by the Federal Government.
“On April 4, there were some reports of some construction going on at the site, but we are yet to get confirmation on that,’’ he said.
The Chairman said that the NGOs’ work would be done when the communities know the value of their rain forests, to be able to decide what they wanted to do with them.