By Nneka Nwogwugwu
Taraba’s Rosewood Trees are already going into extinction as logging activities increases in the state.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) listed rosewood among the wild flora and fauna soon to be going in extinction if proper measures are not considered.
Findings by Daily Trust revealed that Taraba State is one of the largest sources of rosewood in Nigeria, which attracted both native and foreign lumberjacks who eventually contributed in depleting the trees.
Rosewood (Pterrocarpus Erinaceus) is referred to as Madubiya in Hausa Language and Hogmu in Chinese and could be found in forest areas of Bali, Gashaka, Gassol, Donga, Kurmi and Sardauna local government areas.
The tree is loved and exploited mostly by foreigners for its timber which is used in making plywood and veneers for furniture. Locals also forage traditional medicine from the trees in many forms.
The tree has attracted Chinese loggers who allegedly harvest these tree known to produce good quality oriental furniture, which is the most expensive wood in the furniture industry nowadays.
Meanwhile, environmentalists have warned that deforestation can lead to soil erosion, climate change and flooding, thereby causing problems for the locals.
Daily Trust further revealed that there was high level of illegal logging across the forests and along rivers as well as on top of mountains where the trees grow.
A middleman, Alhaji Haruna Yakubu, said he became interested in timber trade mainly because people were making brisk businesses in rosewood timber.
According to him, before the tree was depleted from the forest, there was high demand for it by the Chinese and other businessmen in Lagos, from where the commodity is shipped abroad.
Findings revealed that many of the middlemen and agents who trade in rosewood were making between N2m and N3m weekly.
“I made my first N1m from the proceeds of Madrid trade and I continued to make more money until the outbreak of COVID-19 when ports and roads to Lagos closed and foreign merchants could not move around,” one agent, Rabiu Maihula said.
Rosewood timber businesses are common in a number of communities like Garbabi, Gayam, Maihula, Seti, Mayoselbe, Garba Chede and Maraban Baissa, among others.
Findings revealed that logging of rosewood was carried out illegally but once the product is loaded on to trucks and transported, owners are compelled to pay up to N500,000 to government revenue collectors at different tax collection points.
Key revenue collection points are located at Mallum village in Ardo-Kola Local Government Area, entry point along Wukari Road in Jalingo, Takum and Zing town.
Sources said a huge amount of revenue running into billions has been collected from rosewood business by the authorities over the years.
Chinese merchants who dominate the lumber business have hubs where they buy the commodity from agents and cut them into sizes before transporting to Lagos port for onward shipment to China and parts of Europe and America as well.
Meanwhile, Commissioner of Environment, Alhaji Ibrahim Lawal, said government has signed an agreement with the timber processors association in the state with a view to replacing every tree felled.
He also revealed that revenue is being collected from wood processors and all those in the business of timber in the state.
The commissioner, who said the association has started replanting many trees in Sardauna LGA as part of reforestation efforts, also revealed that government will launch tree planting campaign at Bakin Dutse in Ardo-Kola Local Government Area to control desertification and replace fallen rosewood trees.