As part of his administration’s initiative to protect and conserve its over one million hectares of forest reserve, Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, in partnership with the United Nations (UN), yesterday announced the setting up of Green Police.

The Green Police, which is a special martial, according to the governor,  would be charged with policing and management of the state’s forest, as well as preserving forest resources,  including watershed and biodiversity.

Other functions of the Green Police as highlighted by the governor included urban afforestation, community-based control of illegal logging; monitoring and information system of the forest; environmental and social safeguard of forest-based communities.

Signing the partnership deal for the development of framework in his conference room with the UN Chief Technical Adviser on REDD+ Programme, Chief Allen Turner, Governor Ayade disclosed that about 1,000 young Cross Riverians would be recruited for the Green Police.

“This is also in fulfillment of my promise to provide about 1,000 jobs for our teeming young men and women which we are capturing in a programme called the Green Police.

“Today Cross River State is in the threshold of making history, a state that is known to be a frontline state in terms of forest conservation and management. To ensure that the principles of forest conservation, utilization and value-added is adhered to in a sustainable manner, we have the pleasure of announcing a special force which we call the Green Police.

“As we sign this deal today, we have a commitment that we have set the ball rolling in terms of afforestation with a view to reversing the trend of climate change that is becoming very disastrous,” the governor hinted.

In his remark, the UN Chief Technical Adviser on REDD+ Programme, Mr. Turner, said: “We are to help Cross River set up a framework, a strategy in a way that will meet the standard and expectations of the international communities of over 194 nations that signed the UN Climate Change convention and REDD.

-Sun