We’ll recover our forests from encroachers — Ondo Govt
By Akintunde Jacobs, Akure
The Ondo State Government has said that it is ready to recover all the government forest reserves in the state, from encroachers across the all 18 Local Government Areas of the state.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Olayato Aribo, who said this on Thursday in Akure at the inauguration of the new executive of Processed Wood Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (PROWPMAN), Ondo state chapter, said the government is putting all hands on deck to achieve this.
Aribo, therefore, assured those in the timber and wood business of sustainable environment to thrive in their trade in the state.
According to Aribo, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, David Dada, “We are fully ready to support you, if it is to give you land, we are ready. We will soon also embark on trees planting and replanting and we are also ready to takeover our lands that have been taken over by encroachers.”
He, therefore, said the ministry was ever ready to partner with the association in the area of afforestation across all the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.
The National President of PROWPMAN, Ademola Oyaleke, iterated their commitment towards playing a key role in the national economy development by creating more employment for the teeming youths across the states.
“Sustainability is our key goal and we are demonstrating that across the six geographical zone in Nigeria through our tree planting projects, climate smart initiatives project, capacity building training and collaboration with government, nongovernmental organisation and other trade union across board.
“Our footstep in re-establishment of degraded forest reserves across the nation through our forest restoration projects in Ogun, Ekiti, Adamawa, Taraba, Kogi, and Oyo states is evidently our strength. Let me assure you that with time the same feat will be replicated in Ondo state,” he said.
Oyaleke, who also urged members to uphold the sustainable forest management tenets, however, called on the government at all levels to tackle the issue of encroachment of forest reserves.
The Owa of Idanre Kingdom, Oba Frederick Aroloye, who also spoke at the event, tasked Nigerians to make use of locally made materials to ease the strain of unemployment in the country.
The monarch, who spoke through the Neren of Idanre Kingdom, High Chief Rufus Akinnawonu said, “We need to do this to help our economy, bring in foreign exchange and at the same time provide employment opportunities for our teeming youths. Of course, this will reduce crime and criminalities in our country.”
The newly elected PROWPMAN Chairman, Oluwafemi Ajayi said the state chapter would be a good ambassador of the association and pursue the vision of the body vigorously.
Ajayi said, “We want to acquire 2000 hectares of forest reserves land to plant different spices both exotic and indigenous of trees. We will also work in accordance with Ondo State Government to generate more revenues and boost the IGR of the state.
“We will bring in more international investors to take wood work in Ondo state out of local levels to international levels. We will also create more employment opportunities for the Ondo state youths and we will work hard to make Ondo state PROWPMAN the very best in Nigeria.”
