Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, will today sign the Anti-open Grazing Bill into Law, just as the state government has suspended all activities in the state forest reserves including free areas and flitches with immediate effect.
Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, said the suspension was part of the far-reaching decisions made at the state executive council meeting on Monday.
According to him, the State Security Network codenamed Amotekun has been directed to enforce the council decision, adding that anyone found engaging in any activities at the state forest reserves will be made to face the full extent of the law.
Ojogo explained that the Head of Service had been directed to restructure the Ministry of Natural Resources so as to make it work in tandem with the expectation of the government and serve the interest of the people.
“The council has directed the Head of Service to embark on administrative overall at the Ministry of Natural Resources. We observed that some interested persons have turned the reserves into their private resources. Government has suspended all activities in the forest. There are no more free areas. Amotekun has been mandated to carry out to the fullest the issue of enforcement,” he said.
The spokesman said the state government would soon set up a committee to deal with the issue of the activities in the forest reserves.
The information commissioner said the council has also decided that all residents of the state must be vaccinated against the Covid-19 pandemic, stressing that the decision was made in view of the ongoing efforts of the state government to contain the spread of the Delta variant of the virus.
He said the council also approved that residents are giving two weeks ultimatum for vaccination after which evidence of vaccination will be criteria to access Churches, Mosques, Hospitals and other public places including government offices.
“Aside all existing protocols, all residents in the state must be vaccinated with effect from two weeks from now. After the expiration of this two weeks, evidence of vaccination will be the condition to access public places, churches, mosques. The Head of Service has been mandated to drive this process in the public service,” Ojogo stressed.
Meanwhile, Special Adviser to the Governor on Entrepreneurship Development, Summy Smart Francis, said the council also decided to deploy brand new swam boggy to the three senatorial districts of the state to address the issue of flooding witnessed in the past few weeks.
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Sir Charles Titiloye, stated that the council has approved that a memo for the establishment of Competition and Consumer Protection Agency be sent to the House of Assembly.
(Thisday)
