The Speaker of Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Eteng Jones Williams, has assured that the 9th Assembly will support the State Ministry of Climate Change and the United Nations Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Plus (UN-REDD+) programme in the state on forest protection.
The Speaker made the pledge on Thursday, when he received a delegation from the State Ministry of Climate Change and the United Nations Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Plus (UN-REDD+), who were at his office to congratulate him on the inauguration of the 9th Assembly and to intimate the House that the forest is under threat by illegal activities of deforestation.
Speaker, Rt. Hon. Eteng Jones Williams further said the legislature under his watch, will make laws that will ban encroachment into the forest reserves in the state and a development plan put in place to take care of host communities.
According to Speaker, the house has keyed into the REDD+ programme that is why the bill on Quarry Regulatory Agency passed in May this year has made provisions for the fees and levies paid by persons and companies granted mining license to be paid directly into the Forest Trust Fund created under the Forestry Commission Law. This is to ensure aforestation after the deforestation caused by activities of the miners.
He therefore encouraged the two bodies to be steadfast in their duties.
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