The Ekiti House of Assembly on Tuesday lamented the ongoing deforestation of the state’s Forest Reserves, saying that the situation posed a serious challenge to the ecosystem and was degrading the environment.
The Assembly through a unanimous resolution at plenary, said there was an urgent need for some aggressive campaign for a tree planting revolution by the government.
The resolution followed the motion entitled: “Deforestation: The Need to Plant more trees.’’ as moved and seconded by Mr Oluwajuwa Adegbuyi (Ekiti East) and Mr Ojo Ademola (Ijero).
Contributors who included the Speaker, Ekiti Assembly, Mr Funmiyi Afuye, Mr Reuben Awoyemi (Oye I) Akin Oso(Ido/Osi 11) and the mover and seconder of the motion, respectively, identified environmental degradation as a challenge from deforestation.
They described the indiscriminate felling of trees that could be of environmental and economic value to the state as worrisome, calling for a campaign against the practice.
Another business conducted during the plenary was the adoption of report of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, in respect of the Ekiti Board of Internal Revenue Bill, 2019 submitted by its chairman, Mrs Olubunmi Adelugba.
The Assembly, through unanimous resolution, also called for an urgent rehabilitation of the Ekiti College of Education, and the Ikere-Ekiti-Igbaraodo-Ibuji Roads.
The mover of the motion, Mr Tunji Joseph and its seconder, Mr Tunde Idowu(Ikere 11), pleaded with Gov. Kayode Fayemi to rescue the users of these roads.
They said the economic importance of the roads could not be overemphasised, saying that the axis had the largest farm settlement in the state and that at the moment, farmers could not transport their produce to the market.
Mr Lateef Akanle (Ekiti East 11) in his contribution, said the bad situation of the roads had made it easy for robbers and kidnappers to operate on the axis.
Akanle said: “The current bad situation of Ikere-Igbaraodo-Ibuji roads where the state College of Education is located is posing a security threat.’’
The House through a resolution, called on the Ekiti government to intervene in the recent flooding at communities in Emure-Ekiti.
The House thereafter adjourned till Thursday, Aug., 1, 2019.
