The Cross River state government has warned residents of the state against indiscriminate bush burning.
The State Commissioner for Environment Hon. Moses Osogi gave the admonition in his office in Calabar at weekend while reacting to the recent incident of fire outbreak which took place along Bishiri road in Obudu Local Government Area of the state, saying precautionary measures against indiscriminate bush burning must be taken at all times.
The fire incident led to the devastating destruction of over seven yam barns worth millions of Naira.
The Environment Commissioner vehemently condemned the activities of miscreants,which he pointed out is hugely responsible for the fire outbreak, lamenting that the incident has inadvertently left the affected families with untold hardship.
He maintained that the present administration of Governor Bassey Otu “would not tolerate any form of unlawful environmental practices and would stop at nothing to bring all perpetrators that flout Government orders to justice”.
He highlighted the adverse impact of bush burning to include; loss of biodiversity, damage to properties and infrastructure, climate change impact, threat to human lives, loss of agricultural resources, impact on water sources, disruption of ecosystem services etc, stressing that the State Government is committed to preserving the environment in the state.
He sympathized with those affected, calling on citizens to be more cautious and collaborate with the State Government in preserving the environment and our abundant natural resources
