Governor Dapo Abiodun
Ogun orders 17 communities out of reserve. The Ogun State Government has requested that 17 villages in the state’s Ijebu-East/North Local Government Area evacuate the elephant conservation area in the Omo Forest Reserve.
The communities, dubbed “illegal farmers and timber contractors” by the government, were forced to leave the region by January 15, 2024.
Engr Taiwo Oludotun, the state Commissioner for Forestry, issued the order during a meeting with farmers, village heads, and timber contractors in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
Oludotun, in a statement issued by the Ministry of Forestry’s Press Officer, Luke Adebesin, on Wednesday, accused the 17 villages of intruding on the forest reserve’s buffer zones.
In the words of the Commissioner, “the 17 communities are: Eseke, Tamitami, Bridge, Korede, Fatai, Sojukorodo, Etemi- Gerade, Onigburugburu, Erifun, Aba Alhaja, Erimogan, Ologunna, Ori Apata, Imaba, Apora, Fatai 2 and Yomi Iga” .
Oludotun stated that planting cocoa seedlings within the state’s forest reserves was unlawful, and that any cocoa plants discovered after the exit date would be prosecuted.
“The state Ministry of Forestry will not fold its arms and allow illegalities to continue within its forest reserves; any timber contractor found to be involved in cocoa plantation within the reserves will have the government property hammer withdrawn from such contractor,” he stated.
Mr Timothy Olatunji, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, had called for timber contractors to work with the Ministry to put an end to “unwholesome activities within the forest reserves” in his remarks.
In addition, timber contractors’ representatives, Hon. Kunle Kalejaye and Alhaja Ranti Bambi, were alleged to have voiced dismay at the breach of the government’s instruction by some miscreants, vowing to supplement the Ministry’s efforts to stop the illegal behavior.