By Mike Adeyemi
The Kwara State Timber Chain-Saw Millers Association has said Kwara State loses millions in revenue to illegal activity of charcoal dealers across the state.
The Secretary of the association, Adetunji Muritala, stated this on Friday while answering questions from our reporter in his office.
According to him, “the presence of foreigners from Niger and other countries across the state’s forestry is alarming, hence poses threats to the Kwara State economy.
“We are still faced with the illegal activity of charcoal dealers in the state. In other states, government maintained their forest against intruders, but not in Kwara
“Successive governments haven’t been doing much to curb deforestation in the state. The Bukola Saraki’s administration licensed us, but jettisoned by successive governments. Charcoal operators are still plying their illegal trade, “Muritala lamented. He added that Kwara Timber Chain Saw Millers Association has taken many steps towards curbing the activity of charcoal dealers, to no avail.
“The activities of charcoal people in the state have to be curbed because of deforestation, which exposes the earth to global warming.
“They cut trees indiscriminately without due process. We lost lot of revenue to charcoal dealers and efforts to curb it proved abortive. There is no forest reserve again in Kwara due to deforestation
“Despite the fact that Kwara State House of Assembly banned the activity of charcoal dealers, but they still operate freely. It’s unfortunate that the government didn’t enforce the police,” the association scribe stressed.
Muritala added that the Kwara State government has neglected the association over time despite huge revenue it remits to government coffers.
“The challenges before us Miller in the state is enormous, part of which are the presence of aliens in the bush that ply their illegal trade without check or regulations by the government.
“All the forestry across Kwara State have been invaded by people who are not from Kwara, but people from Niger and white men from other countries destroying our forest.
“How can we allow foreigners to be toying with Kwara’s source of revenue to develop their own countries. They cuts trees indiscriminately without recourse to laid down procedures.”
Muritala, however, charged the Kwara State Government to come up with a good policy on afforestation and put in place a task force to send the illegal foreign millers on Kwara soil away.
“We want the Kwara State Government to plant trees. They should send all these foreigners in the bush away by setting up a regulatory body to curtail their excesses.
