Ogun Partners Traditional Rulers To Tackle Illegal Activities In Forest Reserves

  The Ogun State government has called on Baales and other community leaders in the three senatorial districts to partner with government in tackling nefarious activities of illegal loggers in the State owned forest reserves.

          Commissioner for Forestry, Chief Kolawole Lawal made this call during an interactive session with the State Council of Baales in the ministry’s conference room, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

          Chief Lawal said the illegal activities of timber merchants and the level at which forest reserves had been depleted was worrisome, adding that this has necessitated the call for joint efforts of the Chiefs and government to secure the reserves.

          He explained that some Chiefs especially those residing within the reserves colluded with illegal loggers to perpetrate unlawful acts, adding that some of them illegally demarcated government land to cocoa farmer and also construct permanent structures in the reserves which was against forestry law.

          ‘’Forestry law do not permit installing Chiefs in the reserves but the State government felt that for proper monitoring of the reserves, someone must direct the deeds of the loggers, however if Chiefs fail to perform, government will not hesitate to dethrone such Chief’’. Lawal said.

          Responding, the Chairman, Ogun State Council of Chiefs, Chief Odeyinka Adisa, cautioned Baales especially those at the enclaves to desist from any act capable of  tarnishing their image, warning that any Chief caught engaging in illegalities  would be expel from the council.