The Ogun State Government has commenced the review of its Forestry and Wild Life laws promulgated 80 years ago, so as to meet up with current challenges in the forestry sub-sector of the state’s economy.

The State Commissioner for Forestry, Mr Kolawole Lawal, disclosed this while speaking with journalists on the outcome of a stakeholders meeting with Ijebu-Ode timber contractors at his office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the state capital.

According to the commissioner, the crux of the meeting was to deliberate on ways of tackling the spate of deforestation in the nine forest reserves across the state by illegal operators.

He stated that the review of the Forestry and Wild Life laws had become imperative to forestall forest depletion which according to him, is a major factor in issues of climate change.

Mr Lawal noted that since the promulgation of the law in 1937, “No serious review had been carried out. What was done in 2006 was not a review but just a compendium of the scattered law in a single booklet.”

He, however, expressed optimism that the law when reviewed, would tackle holistically the menace of illegal logging head on.

“The outdated law has greatly affected the operation of the Ministry and development of its forest reserves but once the review is passed into law and approved, illegal activities will be stamped out in our forest reserves.”

On his part, the Secretary, Association of Ijebu Timber Contractors, Ijebu-Ode Chapter, Mr Jide Fakayode, commended the state government for its unrelenting efforts at combating illegality in the reserves.

He then assured the government of the association’s cooperation and commitment to the development of forestry sector. (Channels TV)

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