By Oluwatoyin Adegoke
Ogun State government has directed all illegal occupants at the Area J3 Forest Reserve in Ijebu-East Local Government Area of the state to vacate the settlement while warning the residents to desist from selling government lands.
Commissioner for Forestry, Mr Taiwo Oludotun who made this known during a fact-finding visit to the reserve, said only occupants with legitimate businesses at the forest reserve would be allowed to stay.
Mr Oludotun emphasised that the government would continue to preserve and ensure proper management of the reserves, particularly against what he termed the criminality perpetrated by unscrupulous elements.
He announced that means of identification would henceforth be made compulsory for legitimate occupants while directing Forestry officials to compile adequate data of people living in the forest reserves.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Timothy Olatunji had encouraged community leaders in the area to protect the reserves and sustain all-year-round tree planting.
He promised the government’s assistance with the provision of seedlings to farmers at the reserve who were permitted to plant cassava, maize and other food crops, advising that such agricultural practices should not be done at the detriment of the trees planted in the reserve.
Highpoint of the visit was a symbolic tree-planting exercise carried out by the Commissioner.
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