We’re Ready To Support FG On Afforestation Policy, Planks/Building Materials Sellers Boss, Adelodun Kayode Says
By Kazeem Awojoodu, Ibadan
Chief Adelodun Kayode has expressed readiness to work with government on sustainability of afforestation.
Naijanewshub.com.ng reports that the National President of Nigerian Planks Sellers and Building Materials Market Association (NPSBMMA) Chief Adelodun Kayode Lateef has on Tuesday expressed readiness to partner with the both federal and state governments afforestation policy that will further sustain the ecosystem of the country.
Adelodun speaking at the National Headquaters of the Association located inside Bodija Plank market Ibadan during the inauguration and swearing in ceremony of the new executive members of the association confirmed that the association has duly registered with the federal ministry of environment through the director of forestry to ensure smooth operation with stakeholders on the issue of afforestation.
He said, “we’ve registered with the federal ministry of environment through the director of forestry, we are partnering with them on issue of afforestation and we are urging the federal government and the state government to give us a land in each states so that if we fall a tree, we will replace it by planting four or ten so we can have a better environment in this country.”
Speaking on the challenges facing the association, Chief Adelodun Kayode Lateef, who also doubles as the Lagos state Chairman of the association said, ” I’m here in Ibadan today to inaugurate my new excos, across the states and we are using this medium to pass messages on challenges facing our members.”
“Presently here today, we have almost half of the 36 states in the country, we thanks the federal government through the attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami who has been helping us on the way out on challenges facing our members and association at large, he has helped us through the ministry of Works and we’ve been at the round table with the Honourable Minister, Mr. Raji Fasola, where we tabled our challenges, we let him realized that each time we are on the federal roads we face a lots of challenges, we have some hoodlums, some unauthorized contractors, collecting money from us on federal road.
“Having listened to us, the Hon. Minister of Works Babatunde Fasola SAN, found out that all these people collecting money from us are unauthorized contractors and with this development the ministry of works and transportation made a publication to that effect on 17th of September 2022 on Punch Newspapers warning those hoodlums to stay clear off the road, the publications also warned all the ministry and other agencies to stop collecting money from us while conveying our goods to any part of the country on Federal highways.”
“So we are using this medium to tell the whole world that we planks Sellers are saying the forest department operatives should go to sawmills to monitor the activities of slicing of the wood, we are selling finished products and not timbers, so we are appealing to the federal government to assist us in the area of enforcement. We are duly registered association with the federal ministry of environment through the director of forestry.” He said.
In his words, the vice president of the association, Alhaji Moruf Abiodun said, “We have many challenges and that is what brought us to this present situation, that is why we’ve called ourselves together to fight this challenges and without coming together is not going to be possible for us to fight all these challenges especially the one we face on the roads.”
“There are so many problems on the road, there are some people parading themselves as consultants for government they extort money from us, even soldiers will collect money from us while taking planks to our customers in Lagos, police also are always on the road extorting money from our people bringing timber and planks to this markets and other markets around us but we believe in unity and for forming this association we believe this will go a long way in addressing this issue for we have submitted many letters to government both at the state and federal level but yielded no result and it is high time they listen to us. He said.