Ogun State makes final list of UN REDD+GLOBAL partnership programme

Traders applaud govt over forest opening

Ogun State has been selected among the successful participants in the upcoming National Forest Carbon Partnership Facility and United Nations’ Reducing Emission from Deforestation and forest Degradation projects, (FCPF/REDD+).

The Director of Survey, Demarcation, Inventory and Extension, Ministry of Forestry, Adewale Shonubi, who stated this at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, said that the programme was aimed at encouraging developing countries to reduce emission from deforestation and degradation by enhancing, sustaining, as well as conserving forest carbon stock.

According to him, 17 states were selected for re-assessment, with seven pre-qualifying for the scoping mission assessment where Ogun finally qualified among the last three selected states.He noted that the political will and support of the Dapo Abiodun-led government to the programme contributed to the pre-qualification and final selection of the state in the keenly scrutinised scoping mission assessment.

Meanwhile, traders, under the aegis of Ifesowapo Traders Association from Area J4 in the Ijebu-East Local Council of the state, have commended the Ogun State government for soft-pedalling the ban on illegal forest activities in the state. This is sequel to the decision of the government to allow them move their agricultural produce from the forest reserves in spite of the suspension order on forest activities in the state.

The women group was received by wife of the governor, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun and others. Abiodun, who eulogised the traders for their roles both at the home-front and the nation as a whole, applauded them for the show of appreciation to the government for the partial opening of the Area J4 Forest Reserves due to the unacceptable mode of forest operation and management in the reserves.

She urged them to support the government by contributing their quota towards forest preservation. Earlier, Talabi said that efforts were on to establish a Forest Vanguard to complement the drive of government towards forest regeneration and preservation for increased revenue, appealing to the women groups to support the government to achieve good governance across board.

Responding, leader of the group, Chief (Mrs.) Beatrice Yemitan, said that the visit was to show appreciation to the government for soft-pedalling on the suspension order which enabled the traders to continue plying their trade unhindered. She, however, appealed to the government to urgently come to their aid on the poor state of the roads in the forest reserves, the reassuring government of their unalloyed support towards the success of the administration.