Ayade Has Good Plans For Cross River State – Youth Leader

By Aplefe Ojong

The Governor-Elect, Professor Senator Ben Ayade has been described as a qualified and professional Environmental expert who will not implement any policy that will be injurious to the sustainability of Cross River State Forests.

Director-General of the Cross River State Political Network, Prince Michael Nku Abuo, who disclosed this while speaking with CrossRiverWatch in Calabar recently said that as an environmental scientist, Ayade will never do anything or carry out a policy that will go against the ethics of his own profession.

Abuo stated that it was totally wrong and unreasonable for some people to misconstrue the governor-elect’s recent statement that he will undertake selective logging and plant three trees for every single tree logged to mean being detrimental to conservation and sustainability of the forests.

He reasoned that if natural resources like lime stones and other minerals that are not renewable were being extracted and exploited for revenue and to generate employment, why should people be afraid that forests that are renewable cannot be sustainably utilized for the good of the state.

Abuo posited that throughout the world, silviculture, the “practice of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health and quality of forests to meet diverse needs and values, making sure that the treatments of forest stands are used to preserve and to better their productivity” is fully taking place.

He explained that Ayade does not intend to do anything different from what is sustainably practicable globally as far as forests management and exploitation is concerned, adding that Ayade has good plans for Cross River State, and that all that is required from the people of the state is to give him the necessary support when he assumes office come May 29.

Abuo also spoke on the need for all the political actors in the state to come together and work collectively for the interest of the state and its people, irrespective of any differences, stressing further the need for the youths to be given opportunity in governance.