Ellen Tightens Screw on Logging Ban

The President has vowed to prosecute those officials indicted by the special committee in its report

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Friday renewed her ban on the felling and exporting of logs under Private Use Permits (PUPs) granted or authorized by the Forestry Development Authority (FDA).

The President has since issued an Executive Order to that effect; Executive Order No. 44 has been issued to protect Liberian Forests by a Temporary Moratorium on Private Use Permits.

It begins by reiterating that a moratorium on the issuance of PUPs is in force and activities involving or related to the felling or export of logs under any PUPs granted, authorized or approved by the Forestry Development Authority is suspended.

The Executive Order furthered that this moratorium applies to all individuals, communities, groups, and associations who are holders of PUPs; adding that this moratorium applies also to all logging activities of any person, whether natural or juridical, who holds a PUP and operates in Liberia under any other logging license.

It noted that the relevant ministries and agencies of Government shall take appropriate actions to remedy the situation through criminal prosecutions, review of the relevant legal and regulatory framework, validation of deeds, audit of the Forestry Development Authority, public sensitization, and such other necessary measures.

Also, the moratorium shall remain in effect until otherwise lifted. “This Executive Order shall take immediate effect,” the President stressed.

Executive Order 44 aims to ensure that forests which are part of the country’s natural heritage exist for the benefit of citizens. Forests in Liberia’ territory constitute forty percent of the tropical rainforests in the West African sub-region and therefore must be managed in a manner that takes cognizance of this fact and of the vital role Liberians must play in conserving, harnessing, and harvesting these treasured assets in a responsible, ecologically prudent, and beneficial manner, the Executive Order reads.

It notes that the report issued by the Special Independent Investigating Body has revealed that there have been massive fraud, misrepresentations, abuses and violations of the National Forestry Reform Law in the issuance of Private Use Permits to the extent that this inter-generational asset has been severely threatened.

It adds that because the mismanagement of the PUPs poses a threat to the efficient, effective, and sustainable management of our forests, it is imperative to impose a moratorium to protect the national interest.

The issuance of Executive Order 44 follows that the release of findings of a probe conducted by the Special Independent Investigative Body (SIIB) set up by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to investigate malpractices at the Forestry Development Authority.

In its reports, the committee indicted several GOL officials, ministries and agencies for the massive abuses of Private Use Permits (PUP) and the moratorium placed on them by the President. The investigative body indicted the management of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), the Ministry of Land Mines and Energy (MLME), the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for their roles played in the violation of processes governing the issuance of PUPs as well as the President’s moratorium.

The Report lamented the conduct of the Chairperson, Agriculture Minister Florence Chenoweth,  and members of the FDA Board of Directors for their failure to provide the appropriate oversight to FDA for failing to conduct due diligence in the issuance of PUPs and for their breach of the duty of care owed to the FDA. The findings identified a number of government officials and civil servants at the FDA, MLME and MOA, who participated in, aided and abetted directly and indirectly in the conduct of fraudulent activities that characterized the abuse of PUPs.