By Fatima Muraina

The Ondo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Mr Olayato Aribo has charged staffers of the Ministry to work hard this year so as to meet the ministry’s revenue targets of N850,000,000 million especially, the forestry sector. 

The Commissioner stated this at a prayer meeting organised by the ministry to appreciate God for making them witness new year and to commit the year’s activities in the hands of God. 

 Aribo tasked officers in charge of protecting the forests both government reserves and free areas to ensure they comply with the laid down rules at performing their duties and ensure that the forests are adequately protected against illegal activities. 

According to him, such illegal activities include indiscriminate felling of woods, flitching, bush burning and other harmful practices that could lead to deforestation, which he discribed as dangerous to human and animals.

The Commissioner said this year’s revenue targets are achieveble with the cooperation and support of all members of staff of the Ministry, adding that the forests would soon be re-opened for legal activities. 

“This would scale up the revenue base as against the closure of forest reserves, which affected the revenue generation. 

He also added that the Ministry would continue to provide the enabling environment to make agriculture attractive to youth, women and other individuals who are genuinely interested in farming by providing them with the necessary support in terms of training and inputs to work with. 

Aribo urged the staff to remember leaders in their prayers, saying leaders are human beings that also need prayers and supports.