Osun Govt Closes Forest Reserve Over Illegal Activities
Osun State government has closed two of its forest reserves located in Irewole and Isokan Local Government areas over alleged sharp practises by members of plank sellers association in the state .
Prince Tunde Ajilore, Special Adviser to Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Forestry, Natural and Mineral Reserves who made this known to newsmen in Osogbo, said the closure was to ensure that loopholes are blocked and also checkmate some illegal operations in the forest .
According to him, some members of plank seller associations have continued to shortchange the state, and adversely affected the Internally Generated Revenues (IGR), worth millions of naira.
He said, “The government had established series of meetings with the associations in the affected regions and at the end of the meetings, the miscreants still default and truncate the peace meetings.
The SA further explained that the plank sellers have continue to attack some wood sellers in market places which had led to interventions of security agencies on several occasions to ensure that lives and properties were well protected in the interest of the people.
Ajilore noted that until there is dialogue and the plank sellers associations show remorse over their illegal acts and also complied with the laws of the state, the government would not hesitate to dealt with anyone found wanting.
In the same vein, Mrs Yemisi Adetipe, the State Task Force Officer in the Ministry reiterated the SA’s stance, adding that the prank sellers are really short-changing Osun State Government.
According to her, those who preferred to break the laws of the land and willingly decided to continue with their illegalities would not escape the wrath of the laws.
Adetipe said the primary responsibility of the ministry was to mobilise revenues for the State in order to boast it’s IGR.
She therefore called on stakeholders in the sector to be calm as the state government was on-top of the situation.
It would be Recalled that some plank sellers in Ikire, Irewole Local government area of the state had on Thursday, staged a protest against multiple taxation and alleged extortion by agent of the state government.
The protesters lamented that their businesses have suffered serious setback as a result of what they called ‘fraudulent activities’ of the government agents.
