By BASSEY WILLIE

Environmental activist, Mr Azibaola Robert has decried indiscriminate cutting of natural trees in the deep forest across Niger Delta region and Nigeria at large, saying the practice is affecting the quantity and quality oxygen now available for both human and animal breathing.

Robert, a lawyer-turned entrepreneur and innovator, who disclosed this on Saturday while speaking with newsmen as part of the ongoing 14 day audio-visual documentary project titled, ‘Expedition into deep forest’ at Otakeme in the Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, said if the practice of indiscriminate logging is unregulated, Nigerian environment may be scarce of oxygen and ecosystem totally damaged in the nearest future.

According to him, the business of cutting trees for timbers, including economic trees, was depleting the thick rainforests around communities in the Niger Delta region.

He said that the unregulated practice of logging had already started affecting the ecosystem adversely.

He said: “We are highlighting the fact that the forests have been so devastated by logging. People cut down natural trees that protect the environment and give us oxygen.

“There is no regulation when it comes to wood logging in the Niger Delta and Nigeria in general. So it is a disaster waiting to unfold. The trees are being cut down for the purpose of economic gain.

“Have we tried to calculate the percentage of oxygen that comes from the rainforests of the Niger Delta and why we should not deserve the trees of the region,instead we are busy logging wood at random,” he queried.

Speaking on the first edition of the deep forest expedition audio-visual project, Robert said, “We are spending 14 days on this expedition in Otakeme rainforest and other neighbouring communities in Ogbia Local Government.

“The aim of the expedition is to highlight the natural environment of Nigeria, the Niger Delta and the communities that are around. We want people to see the kinds of blessings that nature has given to our country and how unexplored these natural resources have been.

“We also want people to know how these natural resources have been exploited. There are some of these natural resources that have been over-exploited, and there are some that have never been explored. We really need to balance nature.” He said. (Daily Trust)

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