By AbdulFatai Beki
Ilorin – The National Orientation Agency (NOA) is collaborating with the Kwara Government, NGOs and traditional rulers to check illegal felling of economic trees in the state.
Mr Segun Adeyemi, the Kwara Director of NOA, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Monday.
He said that the action became imperative to check the incidence of indiscriminate felling of economic trees that could create employment and increase revenue base of the state.
According to him, several economic trees like locust bean, shear butter, mangoes, oranges and lemon, among others, are being felled and converted to charcoal in several parts of the state.
The described the actions as illegal, retarding the state’s economic prosperity and creating unemployment for the teeming women in rural communities
He said these trees were sources of livelihood.
“NOA is already in partnership with the Kwara Government and other relevant agencies to ensure full implementation of the law prohibiting tree felling in all parts of the state to further boost the state’s economy,’’ he said.
According to him, the agency is embarking on rigorous sensitisation programme and visiting royal fathers to curb the illegal habit of felling these trees in their domains.
The NOA director also said that the indiscriminate cutting of the trees in different parts of the state was exposing the ozone layer to natural disaster.
Adeyemi said it was worrisome that some people in the state were in the habit of cutting trees that bring needed oxygen to human beings and take carbon dioxide.
NAN recalls that the state House of Assembly passed a bill prohibiting cutting of these trees in Kwara in June 2018 which was assented to by Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of the state.