The state government has issued a warning to the baales living in its forest reserves, urging them to stop collaborating with corrupt individuals to commit illegal acts, in an effort to keep the reserves functioning normally.
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Officials from the state’s Ministry of Forestry, including Permanent Secretary Adekunle Oyesanwen, gave the warning while meeting with farmers, contractors, and baales at the Government Reserves at J3, J4, and J6 in the Ogun East Local Government Area.
According to Oyesanwen, they risk expulsion from the enclaves and dethronement if they do not follow the norms that govern their activities in the reserves.
He shared the news that the Ministry will soon team up with the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs and Local Government to release a verifiable inventory of all baales found within forest reserves.
He said that a list of all baales in the reserves will be released by the Ministry of Forestry and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs very soon.
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“The goal is to find people who are qualified for the reserves and to find out who is trying to trick us,” he explained.
The outstation officers and team leaders were chastised by the Permanent Secretary to guarantee that forest stakeholders plant trees and care for them until they mature, and to submit informed reports on the actions of forest inhabitants on a constant basis.
Planting trees, he said, is good for the environment and people’s health because they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, which helps mitigate the effects of wind, erosion, and other natural calamities.
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In addition to Smart Wood and the Omo Wood Processing Factories in the Ogun East Local Government Area, the Permanent Secretary and senior management personnel of the Ministry also toured the Forestry Plantations Project.