Edo to recruit forest police, audit forests for security

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has announced that the government is finalizing the documentation and audit of the state’s forests and is planning to hire new forest police as part of a new effort to boost security across the state.

He made the announcement at a Special Security Council Meeting with relevant stakeholders in Edo South Senatorial District, held at the Government House, Benin City.

The governor also held similar meetings with stakeholders in Edo North and Edo Central Senatorial District to evaluate security strategies and mechanisms to address insecurity in Edo.

Obaseki said the government, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, is enhancing the security structure and implementing various measures to maintain security in the state, such as bush clearing, registration of motorbikes and marketplaces, enactment of the anti-grazing laws, and residents’ registration, among others.

He said, “The duty of any government in any society is to ensure the security and safety of the people. No government can claim to be a government if it cannot protect and secure the lives of the people that it governs.

“That is why for us in Edo, considering what is happening in the country today, we have decided that security is now our top priority. In the area of our forests, we have finished documentation and audit of all our forests in Edo State, especially in Edo South.

“We have done an aerial survey of all our forests and as we speak, we have established a new forestry commission. Our forestry laws that have not been revised in more than 50 years now have been updated. And one of the provisions of the law is that we will now revitalize the institution of forest guards.”

The governor added, “We are currently in discussion with the Federal Ministry of Environment and some other stakeholders to start the recruitment of the first batch of the new forest police as we will call them to support the activities of all the other security agencies.”

On empowering local governments to support the government’s efforts at sustaining security across the state, Obaseki noted, “In terms of squatters in markets, we are going to enforce the local government laws which state that it is only the local government that is authorized to register markets and close down illegal markets.”

“Any place where trading is currently happening today and such a place has not been registered will be promptly shut down,” the governor cautioned.