Gov. Bassey Otu
The Effi community of Cross River state has raised the alarm alleging the illegal invasion of the Cross River Forest by some Chinese nationals
In a petition by the Effi People’s Action Forum (APAF) dated August 20, and signed by Prince Odey Oyama to the Effi Village Head of Okuni community in Ikom Local Government Area of the state, NkimbNtui Ojong Iyambi, copied Governor Bassey Otu and others, said the action by the Chinese is “a serious national security risk”.
He said, “we have received a report pertaining to the entry of unidentified Foreign Nationals of Chinese origin in Effi community forest estate, as well as the Cross River South Forest Reserve. It is on record that the said Chinese Nationals were in the company of one Mr. Ndoma Edima, an indigene and a resident of Effi Village in Okuni community.
Edima was said to have taken the Chinese on a guided field tour through the forest to take pictures and collect relevant data that are yet to be disclosed.
But “significantly, we have been reliably informed of the action of Architect Monday Ofuka in ordering the Chinese to leave the forest estate immediately.
“We support the position of Architect Monday Ofuka on the grounds that, as foreigners, the Chinese nationals ought to have furnished the entire Okuni community with diplomatic papers certifying the permission of Nigerian Immigration Authorities granting them the access to our community environment. We find it entirely unfortunate that the chiefs in your Effi Council are unconscious and not knowledgeable about the national security risk attendant upon the entry of foreign nationals into our forest environment without security or diplomatic clearance, to do charting on the community lands of Effi People in Okuni community.
“We find it extremely unfortunate that the chiefs should reduce matters of such diplomatic and security implications to the simple matter of asking Architect Monday Ofuka to pay fine for taking prompt and appropriate actions to protect and defend the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in her rural regions. It would appear that the Chiefs are not conscious of the fact that if any of the Chinese nationals had lost his life in the forest, then the consequences of the loss of lives would have been too heavy for the Effi Traditional Council of chiefs to handle”.
In view of this, the Effi people are “hereby imploring the Effi Chiefs to urgently reverse all penalties that have been imposed upon Architect Monday Ofuka for taking appropriate actions to preserve the territorial integrity of his fatherland, Nigeria. All items that have been collected from Architect Monday Ofuka under the guise of penalties should be returned to him forthwith, without any reservations whatsoever”.
