Ogun monarchs join campaign against deforestation
The campaign against illegal tree felling and deforestation in Ogun State forest reserves has received a boost as some traditional rulers have thrown their weight behind the campaign.
The traditional rulers of Oke-Agbo, Oba Haruna Oloye Abass and Oba Onisopen of Sopen, Oba Adesesan Yussuf, of Ijebu-North Local Government Area, who expressed their support during separate meetings with the State Commissioner for Forestry held in their palaces, said they have agreed to form a common front with the State government to protect the State forest resources from further depletion.
According to the traditional rulers, ‘’it became necessary to support the campaign against deforestation considering the level of damages which the cocoa farmers and some individuals residing within the forest reserves have caused’’.
On his part, the Commissioner for Forestry, Chief Kolawole Lawal said the support of the monarchs was necessary in view of the influx of illegal migrants from neighbouring States into the forest reserves and the destruction of forest resources by the illegal cocoa farmers who were in the habit of destroying economic trees to pave way for cocoa plantation in the reserves.
‘’The meeting was a fruitful one, we have visited our traditional rulers, particularly those that the State forest reserves falls within their domain, to inform them of the need to give more support to the campaign against deforestation and any illegal activities in the State reserves. The traditional rulers have agreed to form a common front with government on the campaign against the illegal acts’’. The Commissioner said.
Chief Lawal lamented that it was worrisome to note that some of the cocoa farmers were aided by some baales, who collect money from them to allocate government land, warning that the days of these unscrupulous elements were numbered as new joint effort of government and the village chiefs would curb the nefarious activities.
