Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and strategic stakeholders in Cross River State have called on the Bassey Otu-led government to halt all transactions and invasion by uncertified Chinese nationals into the state’s forests.
  
They appealed to the state government to suspend all negotiations or transactions purportedly by the chiefs on behalf of the Effi people until proper processes are followed to identify the Chinese nationals doing logging business in Okuni community in Ikom Local Council of the state.
  
The call was made after a crucial meeting, on Tuesday, facilitated by the Rainforest Resources and Development Centre (RRDC) to address issues bordering on illegalities going on in the forests.
  
In addition, the forum brainstormed on the audacious and covert incursion of the Cross River South Forest Reserve and Ukpon River Forest Reserve, as well as the potential threats this brazen incursion poses to wildlife resources in the region, particularly the Oban Hills Division of the Cross River National Park, in the near future.
  
Describing the activities of the Chinese nationals in most local councils as worrisome, the forum resolved that it is a serious threat to the ecological integrity of the forest estate of the state.
  
Among others, the coalition declared: “The incursion of uncertified Chinese nationals into the Effi Community Forest should be officially communicated to the House of Assembly; in the hope that the Assembly could step into the matter demanding all documents pertaining to the Chinese, their business interest of the Chinese in Okuni, the agreements signed between the Chinese and the Traditional Rulers Council of Effi and all other things pertaining to the shadowy transactions. It is observed that this matter is yet to be officially communicated to the Executive Arm of the state government through the Forestry Commission.
  
“On local forest bandits, the government is implored to study the rise of the tendencies of illegal exploitation of community resources by forest bandits. The trend is that forest bandits operate in a cartel.”