Kogi State government has warned against indiscriminate and illegal felling of trees in its forests for charcoal production and other uses.
The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr Sanusi Yahaya, who issued the warning when he inspected a forest plantation at Okura in Dekina Local Government Area recently, said anyone caught would be sanctioned.
He highlighted the critical benefits of forest as a reservoir for atmospheric gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide. He added that it served as support for human lives and renewable natural resources.
Yahaya therefore stressed the need to maintain a balance between felling and planting of trees to ensure a balanced ecosystem.
He appealed to the people of the state and other stakeholders to support the state’s afforestation campaign by planting trees.
The commissioner commended the effort of the ministry’s director of forestry and his officials in maintaining the forest reserve, urging them to do more for sustainability.
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