Edo inaugurates Forestry Advisory Committee

Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo has inaugurated an advisory committee on forestry to help the state government to reposition the state as major forest state in Nigeria.

He, however, regretted that the forests had been depleted significantly, hence the need for the committee to work toward reviving it.

He said “we have reflected on the fact that we need to re-enact the potential that God endowed us with in terms of forest reserve.

“As part of the design of the Benin Industrial Park, a section of the park would be built on input from forestry.”

The governor said that the committee would help to draft a forestry policy for the state; advice the state to set up a structure for the forestry commission which should be capable of ensuring obtainable forestry management in line with international best practices.

He added that the committee would help to prepare work plan, budget for the commission and monitoring and implementation programmes and assist to rebuild the the forest management in the state.

Obaseki gave the committee less than 60 days to submit its report, adding that “there is a conference in Ghana in May 2018 and Edo is expected to unveil the forest policies to the world and get feedback from the international community.”

The Chairman of the committee, Dr Felix Idumah, thanked the governor for finding members qualified to serve the state.

Idumah promised the governor and the people of the state that the committee would not disappoint in their duties.