Cross River Assembly tackles Gov Otu for authorizing ‘lopsided’ recruitment of forest rangers

The Cross River State House of Assembly has faulted Governor Bassey Otu for allegedly authorizing a lopsided recruitment of 300 forest rangers.

The Assembly has, consequently, summoned the Chairman of the Cross River State Forestry Commission, George Oben-Etchi, to appear before it to explain the development.

The lawmakers accused Oben-Etchi of recruiting his friends and cronies as forest rangers.

They also ordered him to stop further recruitment and screening of the new recruits.

Last week, during an event organised by Nigerian Conservation Foundation in Calabar, Oben-Etchi disclosed that when he resumed at the Commission in November 2024, he met a completely depleted workforce, with the shortage of forest rangers making it easy for illegal loggers to plunder the forests.

Oben-Etchi said he had to obtain the governor’s consent to recruit 600 forest rangers but the governor approved the first batch of 300.

The Forestry Commission boss, a former lawmaker himself, said selection and interview of the applicants have since been completed but that some influential persons are threatening his life over the move to recruit forest rangers in the state.

According to him, those threatening him are behind the deforestation in Cross River, and have asked the governor to sack him.

But the Assembly slammed the governor for approving the recruitment during a debate on a matter of urgent public interest raised by Hon. Kingsley Ntui Isong, the member representing Etung State Constituency.

The House, in its resolution, ordered Oben-Etchi to appear before a special committee to shed light on the recruitment exercise.

The House accused Oben-Etchi of disproportionate distribution of the 350 forest rangers among the state’s 18 local government areas.

“The Forestry Commission has derailed by considering what should be for everybody only for their friends and family members,” Isong said.

The Assembly further resolved to look into the Forestry Commission’s operations, particularly the hiring process, which according to the lawmakers, was shockingly unfair, biased and favoured certain local government areas over others.

A special committee was set up to conduct the probe.