
From TCNEWS
Mr Philemon Ogbonna, the Commissioner for Environment, Abia State has warned those tampering with the forest reserves to desist from such illegality or be ready to face the full wrath of the law.
To this end, he has mandated officers in charge of forest reserves to put on their surveillance cameras and step up their work.
Speaking while displaying to newsmen in Umuahia the woods impounded from some people who tampered on the state forest reserve at Ukpo in Bende LGA of Abia State, Ogbonna maintained that the state government under the leadership of Dr Alex Otti is not witch-hunting anybody, but urged those who want to do business with the ministry to follow the due process.
He explained that the trees were not planted for sale but to help control the negative effects of climate change on Abia environment, but decried that more often people go there to cut down the trees.
His words, “we want to do business with people but it must be on legal basis, anything that is illegal, we are not associated with it. This is not the government of before, where things are done haphazardly.

The commissioner encouraged the citizens and residents to join hands with the government of Governor Alex Otti, who has insisted that things must be done not only differently but rightly too.