Chairman of DAS Energy Services Limited, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has called on the Delta State Government to pass a law making illegal tree logging a punishable crime. Speaking to journalists in Warri, he described the current rate of forest destruction as alarming. He explained that while the state is naturally rich in valuable trees such as Iroko, Mahogany, Afara, Ironwood, Mango, and Rubber, the activities of illegal loggers are rapidly wiping out these resources.
According to Onuesoke, truckloads of timber are leaving Delta daily, including from deep swamp areas where forests are cleared with no effort to replant. He warned that this unchecked deforestation has serious environmental and social consequences, including community poverty, loss of biodiversity, and threats to water and soil health. He noted that communities dependent on forest products for survival are becoming poorer as their resources disappear.
Onuesoke stressed that illegal logging destroys natural habitats, reduces underground water levels, and leads to soil infertility, flooding, and erosion. He also linked it to the extinction of rare plant and animal species, the loss of non-timber forest products, and air and water pollution.
He recalled that when his NGO, Onovwerosuoke Foundation, visited rural communities to raise awareness about deforestation and climate change, some residents questioned the Foundation’s authority and its concern over land that wasn’t theirs. Onuesoke said this response highlights the need for strong government action. He believes that formal legislation would act as a deterrent and help protect the environment and livelihoods.
