Vice president Alieu Badara Joof has demanded a stop to timber export through the Banjul seaports, as he expressed concern over growing deforestation.

VP Joof was speaking at a cabinet retreat at the International Conference Centre in Bijilo that brought together state ministers and senior government officials.

“There is this particular issue which I want to address with the minister of environment which is this deforestation and also this [illegal timber] logging. The timber issue and this is where the security comes in.

“It shows us the intelligent mind to see, to understand how trucks of timber can leave LRR and pass through all those security checkpoints over 15 of them to reach the ports. 

“And you have securities at the ports and you have inspections at the ports and they shipped out. Something is fundamentally wrong with that,” he said.

“The security has to fix it, they have to fix it, ports have to fix it or they are answerable to the government. We have to take our responsibility; this is not a light responsibility. 

“This government wants to get the right for the next five years. You cannot make omelette without breaking eggs. If you want to let the president get me out but I will say it and I have been saying it as it is in the cabinet,” he added.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba