Public Safety: C’River Assembly directs immediate Replacement of old trees in Calabar, others

The Cross River State House of Assembly has directed the Ministry of Environment and other relevant agencies to immediately replace or remove trees that pose a threat to power transmission lines and the safety of citizens across the state.

This resolution followed a motion presented during plenary yesterday by Hon. Francis Ogban, Member representing Biase State Constituency, who raised concern over the damage caused by aging and overgrown trees located dangerously close to electrical infrastructure. According to Ogban, several of these trees have outlived their usefulness and now pose serious hazards to public safety and the state’s power supply network.

This was contained in a statement by Matthew Okache, Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker and made available to journalists on Thursday.

He emphasized the importance of taking preventive action rather than waiting for more extensive damage or loss, calling for a systematic approach that would address the problem without a complete ecological overhaul.

Chairman of the House Committee on Environment, Hon. Ovat Agbor, in his remarks, blamed the relevant state agencies for failing to act promptly on earlier warnings and noted that such negligence has led to avoidable disruptions and risks to lives of citizens.

Other lawmakers, in their contributions, stressed the urgency of the matter and advocated for swift, coordinated efforts to prevent future occurrences and safeguard critical infrastructure.

The House also charged the Ministry of Environment to begin planting new species of trees to replace the old ones, ensuring a balance between environmental conservation and infrastructure safety.

In a remark, the speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, while commending the motion, reiterated the Assembly’s commitment to proactive governance and responsive legislation. He stressed that protecting lives and infrastructure must always be a priority and commended the lawmakers for their foresight.

“This House will not wait for disasters to occur before we act. We must lead with foresight, and today’s resolution is a reflection of that commitment,” the Speaker said.