Osun state government has announced temporary closure of the forest reserve in Irewole and Isokan Local Government Areas of the state pending the settlement of the crisis in the areas.
This is just as the government said it would not soft pedal on alleged illegalities, contraventions and corruption being perpetrated by the plank seller association in the area.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, the Special Adviser to Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Natural Resources, Comrade Tunde Ajilore, condemned the recent protest by the plank sellers in Irewole and Isokan local government, insisting that the government will no longer allow illegal operations in the forest reserves.
He denied the allegation that the plank sellers were subjected to double taxation, saying “what we charge is in consonance with the law on revenue generation.
“Our primary responsibility is to mobilize revenue for the state in order to boost it’s IGR and we know what the law says about double or multiple taxation, we cannot act above the laws and place unnecessary burden on our people.
“We have decided to temporarily close the forest reserve of the areas so as to allow for more robust negotiation and peaceful resolution of issue at stake.
“We are going to resist any form of contraventions against that laws that concerns forestry preservation abd operation in the state.
Speaking, Mrs Yemisi Adetipe, a Task Force Officer, said that the ministry had not gone against the revenue mobilization policy in collection of money as agreed with the associations.
According to her, those who preferred to break the laws of the land and willingly wanting to continue with their illegalities would not escape the wrath of the laws.
She called on stakeholders in the forestry, natural and mineral resources to be calm, assuring that the state government was on-top of the predicament.
Adetipe, however, urged the plank sellers associations carrying such illegal activities to desist and obey the laws of Osun that guides their activities or face the wrath of the law.
