Forest poachers who are fond of gaining unpermitted access into government reserves across the State to hunt and kill animals have been severely warned to desist from the illegal acts.
The Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Honourable Sola Oladepo and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment and Sanitation, Honourable Rufus Oyegbile gave this warning during a live phone in programme “Eroya” on the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC) to kick start the celebration of this year’s World Environment Day.
The duo emphasised that forest reserves serve as natural habitats for animals, saying going by this year’s celebration theme which is “Biodiversity”, killing of animals in the reserved areas is illegal as such places are ecotourist centres for the government.
During the programme, they highlighted the efforts of the state government in preventing flood through dredging of rivers as well as the role of Osun Waste Management Agency (OWMA) in making the state the cleanest in the country.
They further mentioned other environment related programmes of the government aimed at making lives safe and meaningful for the people of the state.
As part of the programmes lined up for this year’s celebration, Hon. Sola Oladepo made it known that there will be environmental sanitation throughout the state on Thursday. He called on market men and women to come out and clean their environment in commemoration of the day.
According to him, on Friday 5th June, the Executive Governor of the State of Osun, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola will lead other dignitaries in the planting of commemorative trees for watershed management.
He expressed optimism at ensuring the State becomes as eco friendly as possible. He charged citizens to nurture nature by disposing off their refuses appropriately and ensuring they maintain a green zone however little around their houses and communities.