The Ministry of Forestry in Ogun State has assured that it will continue to take steps necessary to ensure rapid development and conservation of forest resources through regeneration and controlled exploitation of timber and non- timber forest resources.
Commissioner for Forestry, Engr. Ayo Olubori who gave this assurance today in Abeokuta while addressing newsmen on the achievements and activities of the Ministry in the last two years, said it was against this backdrop that the Ministry introduced the biometric data capturing of property hammer holders in the State.
According to him, over 160 property hammer contractors had been captured under the exercise, saying that the “condition to be fulfilled before being registered include prove of ownership of the property hammer and prove of payment of all dues”.He stated that the issue of improper documentation on ownership of hammers had been a challenge to the Ministry, a development which made the government to store information on property hammer holders electronically.
Olubori also disclosed that in addition, the Ministry had taken steps to ensure that all logging activities and forestry operations were computerized and automated to block revenue leakages, saying that every transaction is now online based and transactions at the area offices were being monitored at the headquarters.
“The system does not permit handling of cash by our field officers, possible revenue leakage are thereby blocked. It is an open ended system that can still be modified and expanded further” Olubori revealed.On forest conservation and public private partnership, Olubori explained that the Ministry was collaborating with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation to establish protected areas to be developed for ecotourism, carbon credits and research, adding that talks had been opened with some private organizations to establish forest plantations, non timber agro-forest businesses and wood based industries.
Via: Ogun State Government - Official Press Release
We must realise how important Forestry is in this country. Another thing to know about is Agriculture.