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CANNABIS PLANTERS DEFORESTING EKITI RESERVE, SAYS COMMISSIONER

THE EKITI STATE COMMISSIONER FOR BUDGET AND ECONOMIC PLANNING, FEMI AJAYI, HAS LAMENTED THE DEFORESTATION OF THE ISE FOREST RESERVE IN ISE EKITI IN THE ISE-ORUN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF THE STATE BY ELEMENTS PLANTING CANNABIS. AJAYI, WHO SPOKE IN ADO EKITI, THE STATE CAPITAL, ON FRIDAY DURING THE SIGNING OF MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON ISE FOREST RESERVE CHIMPANZEE CONSERVATION BETWEEN EKITI STATE GOVERNMENT AND SOUTH-WEST NIGER DELTA FOREST PROJECT, SAID, “WITH THIS CONSERVATION, I THINK THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE PLANTING CANNABIS WILL FIND THEIR WAY OUT IN ADDITION TO THE NUMEROUS BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT”. THE COMMISSIONER FOR ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES, IYABO FAKUNLE-OKIEIMEN, WHO SIGNED ON BEHALF OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT, SAID THE FIVE-YEAR RENEWABLE PARTNERSHIP PROJECT WITH SWNDFP INVOLVING 33.3 KILOMETRES OF ISE FOREST BEING CONSERVED FOR THIS PROJECT “IS TO PROTECT WILDLIFE ESPECIALLY CHIMPANZEE.”