Ogun govt engages soldiers to battle illegalities in forest reserves

Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta

The Ogun state government has adopted the services of military officers to safeguard its forest reserves from total extinction, due to rapid illegal tree felling and farming.

The Commissioner for Forestry, Engr. Tunji Akinosi, made this known in a meeting with Army Officers at the 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, Abeokuta, noting that the action was necessary to curb nefarious acts being perpetrated by bad element.

Akinosi said the State would not rest on its oars and allow some illegal settlers and lawless contractors destroy the social-economic legacies and resources of the State, despite the continuous efforts of the present government towards saving the forest reserve.

“We must adopt a robust arrangement to deal with the situation, as some inhabitants and bad elements in the State want the forest to go into extinction. We must not rest on our oars towards saving the forest,” he said.

The Commissioner pointed out that if trees were to be taken out of reserves, the procedure must be acceptable and systematic, saying it would save the forest and other resources from further destruction.

Responding, the Commander, 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, Abeokuta, Brig. Gen. Adewale Adekoya, said as military officers, professional templates would be involved to fight the menace, adding that it is their duty to protect the forest and preserve a civil society.

He assured that the officers would align with the present administration to combat illegalities in the State’s forest reserves.