Cross River State Environmental Protection Agency Set to Carryout Massive Sensitisation, Clampdown on Defaulters across the State - DG

 

The Cross River State Environmental Protection Agency (CRSEPA) has condemned in strong terms, the increased destruction of the environment across the state.

Mostly through human sources as Decomposition, oil spilage, Deforestation, Poaching, indiscriminate bush burning, air and water polution, cement production, burning of fossil fuels, land degradation, etc and natural sources such as ocean release, respiration, erosion, flooding, all constitute carbon dioxide emissions and ecological threats.

In trying to maintain a healthy environment, the Agency shall embark on sensitization, work out modalities to sustain and improve the environmental quality, and shall henceforth come after defaulters in the State.

Speaking shortly after an interactive session with some of the Directors of the Agency in Calabar, the Director General (DG), Hon. Erasmus Ekpang in an interview with our correspondent, thanked the Governor, His Excellency, Senator Prof. Ben Ayade for the confidence reposed on them to run the Agency. He further stated that the responsibilty to protect, promote and maintain a sustainable environment for Cross River State is enormous, adding that they all must reciprocate same with hard work, dedication, commitment, steadfastness and transparency of purpose in executing this task.

The DG also lamented on how human activities within the state have destroyed the environment for personal gains adding that "the environment is our common heritage and we must work collectively to protect it from abusers who have become the common enemies of our dear state".

According to Hon. Ekpang, he has structured and activated the different directorates/sub units of the agency for ease of administration and operation. He assured the public that plans are underway to increase awareness and sensitisation on environmental safety, promotion and protection across the 18 LGAs of the state, especially in rural areas where the knowledge level is relatively low and practices of bush burning, cutting down of trees  and water poisoning for fishing activities still persist.

In his words: "We have been able to decentralise the agency by activating the different directorates/sub units of the agency for ease of administration and operational convenience to achieve maximum productivity".

"We also plan to carryout massive orientation and re-orientation of the people's psyche and perception of the environment and it's preservation. Internal and external stakeholders' engagement; especially community leaders living in the rural areas, educating them on appropriate ways of putting the environment to use while avoiding it's  destruction thereby contravening the enabling environmental laws. The urban stakeholder dwellers are also in the focus bracket, thus engaging with them will drive further the need for environmentally friendly businesses and activities in our urban areas for healthier existence."

"The Agency is here to help our people interact with the environment gainfully instead of destroying it, we should rather preserve our forests for sustainable development in the future, for the generations yet unborn to inherit."

He further noted that the agency will not tolerate defaulters of our environmental laws  and shall penetrate all the 'nooks and crannies' of the state to locate, fine, arrest and hand over to appropriate authorities for prosecution.

He further stated that even the environmental rates and levies shall be reviewed in line with the current realities of today. According to him, "we have designed strategies to enforce and recover all the environmental rates and levies provided under the enabling act establishing the agency".

In another development the Director, Ecological Preservation and Special Duty of the Agency, Hon. Ekuma Ngwu also thanked the Governor and His Deputy for finding them worthy, assuring the Government and the general public of his best to safeguard and protect our ecological reserves for the living and even our generations unborn.

Hon. Ekuma, commends the DG, Hon. Erasmus Ekpang for the robust display of leadership capacity, vast experiences and uncommon innovative ideas as well as his collaborative disposition; saying that these attributes of the DG will certainly bring about success in achieving the Agency's goals and objectives.

With this development the Agency will be shaking the waters for a state-wide positive environmental change for the well-being of all in the State.