Govt Charges Forestry Stakeholders To Prevent Economic Sabotage

Stakeholders in the Ogun state forest reserves have been charged to further forestall economic sabotage in areas J1, J3, J4 and J6 respectively, and remit their monies into government coffers.

Another means of identifying legal operators in the reserves has just been devised by the state government, as the farmers have been enjoined to obtain and submit farmer’s agreement forms and collect their identity card at the Ministry in order to ease their identification in the forest reserves.

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The charges was made on Friday November 20, by the state commissioner for Forestry, Kolawole Lawal, during an interactive session with the stakeholders, which includes cocoa farmers and timber merchants in the state.

Lawal urged them to be well acquainted with the government policies and comply with the terms of engagement.

He said that the policies of the present administration were not to witch-hunt anybody, but to ensure that things were done in accordance with lay down rules and regulations of the Forestry Ministry.

The commissioner also sounded a note of warning to the farmers as they are advised to desist from planting cash crops in the reserves, especially, planting of new cocoa trees, and hinted that government would not hesitate to punish any farmer contravening the new agreement.

The Owode Yewa born politician further warned plank sellers in the state to desist from buying illegal flitches, “Alamole”, from farmers, saying that it had been banned in the state plank plant.

He said that anyone found with flitches “Alamole” would be made to face the full wrath of the law, as government would no more condone any illegality in forest reserves in the state.

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In his response, the chairman of Baales (traditional leaders) in Atun Adugbose village, Chief Idowu Ogunde, stated that farmers had been protecting the economic trees and prevented operators from planting new cocoa trees in the forest reserves on or before the meeting day.

Also responding, the chairman of the Plank Sellers Association in Ijebuland, Alhaji Musafau Osibanjo, a.k.a.’Get E’, disclosed that plank sellers are ready to support the government in waging war against illegal merchandising of flitches, “Alamole”.

He enjoined members to co-operate with the state government and desist from dealing with illegal businesses that could tarnish the image of the association in the state. 

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