The Ogun State Government has issued a directive to 17 communities situated in the Ijebu-East/North Local Government Area, instructing them to vacate the designated elephant conservation area within the Omo Forest Reserve.
Termed as “illegal farmers and timber contractors” by the government, these communities have been given a deadline of January 15, 2024, to evacuate the specified region.
The directive was conveyed by the Commissioner for Forestry, Taiwo Oludotun, during a meeting held at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
In a press release delivered by Luke Adebesin, the Press Officer for the Ministry of Forestry, the commissioner accused the 17 communities of encroaching on the buffer zones of the forest reserve.
The affected communities identified by Oludotun include Eseke, Tamitami, Bridge, Korede, Fatai, Sojukorodo, Etemi-Gerade, Onigburugburu, Erifun, Aba Alhaja, Erimogan, Ologunna, Ori Apata, Imaba, Apora, Fatai 2, and Yomi Iga.
Highlighting the illegality of planting cocoa seedlings within the state’s forest reserves, the commissioner sternly warned of sanctions for any cocoa seedlings found within the forest after the stipulated exit date.
Oludotun emphasized the government’s commitment to curbing illegal activities within its forest reserves, asserting that the hammer of government property would be withdrawn from any timber contractor engaged in cocoa plantation within the reserves.
“The state Ministry of Forestry will not fold its arm and allow illegalities to continue within its forest reserves, any timber contractor found to be involved in cocoa plantation within the reserves, the government property hammer of such contractor will be withdrawn,” Oludotun said.
The Permanent Secretary, Mr. Timothy Olatunji, urged timber contractors to collaborate with the ministry in bringing an end to the “unwholesome activities within the forest reserves.”
Representatives of timber contractors, Kunle Kalejaye and Alhaja Ranti Bambi, expressed dismay at the violation of the government’s directive by certain individuals and pledged to complement the Ministry’s efforts in curbing such illicit acts.
