Date: 2013-04-02

A total of two million new seedlings will be planted this year by the Kwara state government as part of efforts at regenerating the forest, the state Commissioner for Environment and Forestry, Mr. Anthony Towoju has disclosed.

Towoju said the project was captured in the 2013 budget of the state and is only awaiting implementation. The commissioner appealed to residents of the state to complement Government’s good  intention in preserving the environment by engaging in general farming instead of destroying the existing  forest reserves.

While stressing the need for more preventive measures, like discouraging people from illegal felling of trees, Towoju noted that the state Government will continue to be alive to its responsibility of conserving the forest so as to prevent the hazards of deforestation.

He explained that his ministry recently apprehended a truck with bags of charcoal at Eiyenkorin in Asa Local Government area of the state  while transporting the commodity to Lagos, adding that another set of 69 bags of the commodity was equally confisticated at various  parts of the IIorin West and IIorin South Local Government areas of the  state.
While warning those in the business to desist from acts of illegality, Towoju warned that a fine of N50,000 or one year imprisonment  or both await anyone who engage in charcoal production in any part of the state.

Meanwhile in another development, the state government has distributed cash donation of N15 million to 357 fire victims that occurred recently across the state. The Special Adviser on emergency and relief services, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi who made the donation on behalf of the state Governor, Alhaji AbdulFatah Ahmed explained that the 357 fire victims were drawn from all the three senatorial districts of the state. The beneficiaries were from Offa, Lafiagi, Iiorin and other parts of the state.

Abdullahi noted during the exercise that although  the amount given to each victim cannot solve the problem confronting them as a result of the fire outbreak but the intention of government was to provide relief for them in their hour of need.