Farmers and residents of communities around Ogun state forest reserves have been reminded on the need to to desist from planting cocoa seedlings.

Commissioner for Forestry, Engr. Taiwo Oludotun, stated this while addressing Village Heads (Baales), and farmers residing within the reserves in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Engr Oludotun noted that the government was taking steps to ensure that all cocoa plantations within the forest reserves were removed, emphasising that only tree plantations would be allowed within the forest reserves.

He also announced that all illegal structures within the forest reserves should be removed by the occupants, saying failure to abide by the directive would attract sanctions.

Contributing, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Forestry, Mr. Timothy Olatunji said all the illegal occupants in the enclaves should vacate, while those who are authorised to stay should ensure revalidation of their ground rent.

Responding on behalf of the Baales, Alhaji Idowu Ogunde, assured the Ministry of their cooperation with the present government to ensure that tree plantations within the forest are protected and cocoa plantations are removed.

Lol, the new cocoa mining wealth profits want to be presided over by the government. This villagers make a living from these cocoa, buy from them cheap and export it diving the profits into three, the government purse, the governments and the people