NCF Cautions Oyo State Government Against Converting Agodi Gardens to Estate
Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has cautioned Oyo state government against going ahead with its plan to convert the OGUNPA Forest Reserve in Ibadan, into a housing estate.
The foundation’s director general, Dr. Joseph Onoja, spoke on the project at the thirty fourth general meetings in Lagos.
He asked Oyo state government to drop the idea of converting the forest reserve because of its grave implication, including flooding and landslide in the state capital.
Onoja expressed concern over the ongoing clearing of parts of the forest reserve, warning that such green space is needed in a city like Ibadan.
But Oyo state land, Housing and Urban Development Commissioner, William Funmilayo said only a large expanse of land is being converted for the Baywood estate, due to security issue in the axis.
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The commissioner said the state government has no intention of converting the Agodi Botanical Garden into a housing estate.
During his tenure, Senator Abiola Ajimobi sought to preserve this iconic and historical legacy by renovating it and ensuring that it returned to the leisure and tourist attraction and the picnic spot it was known for.
The nature, vegetation, the flora and fauna was preserved. Unfortunately, with this new policy of turning the place into an estate, Agodi Gardens will only be in our history book. It is rather unfortunate.
I hope we may not wake up one day to discover that the Oodua group-owned Cocoa house has been converted into apartments. Well, we will not question the wisdom of Governor Seyi Makinde, he is governor today and the spectre of authority is in his hands.
If indigenes of the state feel strongly about the conversion, if they realise the implication of converting a green area into bricks and mortars, there is nothing stopping them from going to court to stop it.
There could even be an organised protest. Unfortunately, our people hardly speak out in situations like this, they prefer to grumble and speak in the corners of their room.
