press release

Thursday, July 15, 2004


Dear NGO Colleagues and Well-wishers,

ANNOUNCEMENT

BRAVO!!! WE HAVE RECORDED TREMENDOUS SUCCESS IN OUR ANTI-LOGGING CAMPIGN.

We are happy to notify you that in the last (over) seven months we have been campaigning against illegal logging and wanton forest destruction of the Cross River State forest estate, in the Cross River Basin of Nigeria. It is our pleasure to inform you also of the huge success of the campaign resulting in the total closure of the activities of WEMPCO (a huge multinational logging company based in Ikom) in Cross River State by His Excellency, Mr. Donald Duke, Governor of Cross River State of Nigeria. This action was communicated to the people of Nigeria through radio and TV announcements (as well as through the print media) of His Excellency’s directives. By these directives, WEMPCO has been ordered to evacuate all their factory and forest equipments from Cross River State within 21 days.

As part of the outcome of this campaign, a ban has earlier been placed on logging activities in the Cross River State of Nigeria. Indeed, we are very pleased with the success of this campaign. We are presently working to update our website at (www.rainforestcentre.org). We will endearvour to publish all the materials relevant to this campaign for your information.

Following the development described above, we would be delighted if you could write to commend His Excellency, Mr. Donald Duke, Governor of Cross River State of Nigeria for this positive action. Such commendations will establish the fact that the Cross River State forest estate is still under the watchful eyes of International communities and NGOs. Please write now to:

HIS EXCELLENCY
Mr. DONALD DUKE
GOVERNOR OF CROSS RIVER STATE
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR,
CALABAR, CROSS RIVER STATE
NIGERIA.
Tel/Fax: 234-87-237247

We wish also to notify you that this campaign is supported by NOVIB ­ OXFAM NETHERLANDS. We would be very grateful if you would also commend NOVIB for their unflinching support for this campaign. Please write to:

Karen Biesbrouck
Programme Officer for West Africa
Novib
MAURITSKADE 9
P. O. Box 30919
2500 GX The Hague
The Netherlands
Tel: + 31 70 342 16 21, Fax; + 31 70 361 44 61


The under-listed personalities played a fundamental role in the process of this campaign. Please write and commend:

Mr. EYO O. EKPO
ATTORNEY GENERAL & COMMISSIONER FOR JUSTICE
MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
MURTALA MOHAMMED HIGHWAY
CALABAR, CROSS RIVER STATE
NIGERIA.
Tel: 234 (0) 87 232166

Dr. CHRIS O. AGBOR
Permanent Secretary/ CEO
CROSS RIVER STATE FORESTRY COMMISSION
P. M. B. 1009
69 TARGET ROAD
CALABAR, Cross River State
Nigeria.
Tel: 234 ­ 87- 232433
Fax; 234 ­ 87 ­ 236452 or 236453
Mobile(GSM): 08033221562
E-mail: forestry-fc@hyperia.com

Boniface E. Archibong
Board Chairman
CROSS RIVER STATE FORESTRY COMMISSION
P. M. B. 1009
69 TARGET ROAD
CALABAR, Cross River State
Nigeria.
Tel: 234 ­ 87- 232433
Fax; 234 ­ 87 ­ 236452 or 236453
Mobile(GSM): 08033380782
E-mail: archibeff@yahoo.com

Honourable GODSWILL EKI
Odukpani State Constituency
Cross River State House of Assembly
House of Assembly Complex,
Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.
Mobile(GSM): 08034502455


Our petition to the Cross River State Parliament on this matter was sponsored through Honourable Godswill Eki. He was indeed very useful. We would be very grateful if you could copy us when you eventually write to the above persons.

Thank you very much for your cooperation and support.

With our best wishes,

Odey Oyama
Executive Director
RAINFOREST RESOURCE & DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
6 Adiabo Close, State Housing Estate,
P. O. Box 2483, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.
E-mail: odeyoyama@hotmail.com,
Website: www.rainforestcentre.org GSM: 08035033824

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The Greens in The European Parliament
Dr. Caroline Lucas MEP,
Suite 58 The Hop Exchange,
24 Southwark St., London SE1 1TY
----------------------------------------------------
Tel: 0207 407 6281 / Fax: 0207 234 0183

Member of the European Parliament Backs Fight Against Illegal Logging

Wednesday March 29 2000

Green Party Member of the European Parliament, Caroline Lucas has pledged her
support to the campaign against illegal logging in Nigeria, following a meeting with
Odey Oyama of the Rainforest Resource and Development Centre.

Dr Lucas met Mr Oyama, programme director of the RRDC during her visit to Nigeria
last week as part of a European Parliament Delegation.

She commented after the meeting: "I was shocked to hear that Nigeria has lost 90
per cent of its rainforest cover, and that a large multinational corporation is
encouraging the illegal cutting of further trees in areas where it does not even own the
concession. This is despite it already owning a concession of 540 sq. kms.

 

In Cross River State. How much timber do they need?

"This is an example of Nigeria allowing others to cut down its birthright. When it is too
late, the government officials will discover that these forests are potentially worth far
more standing with their rich mix of hundreds of different species which are still little
understood. Not only are the forests needed to maintain our climate – Africa’s climate
as well as Europe’s – but they also possess a treasure trove of flora and fauna which
can benefit the government and people of Nigeria now and in the future.

"I was impressed to hear of Mr Oyama’s attempts to persuade the government to halt
the illegal timber extraction, and saddened to hear of the effects of the huge logging
mill on the people in the locality. I am already in touch with organisations seeking to
halt logging in other parts of the world., and I will be looking to see if there are any
avenues we can follow in the European Parliament to support Mr Oyama’s campaign.
I was also particularly heartened to hear Mr Oyama’s ideas about promoting
alternative livelihoods for local people who are persuaded to undertake logging
activities simply because they can see few economic alternatives. A resource centre
to promote these alternatives, as he suggests, is therefore a crucial part of a longer
term strategy."

More information:

Caroline Lucas (London) 0207 407 6281
(Brussels) 0032 2284 5153
Peter Lang (Press Officer, UK) 0044 1531 670 298