Leyoo Ajeokun
The Ekiti State Government has taken over the management and maintenance of three hectares of land farmed for hosting rare and
endangered medicinal plants out of the 16 hectares Otun Community
Herbal Heritage Centre from the Federal Government.
The move followed the official handing over of part of the land of the
institution established in 1993 by the Forestry Department in the
Federal Ministry of Environment to the State Forestry Commission.
The Executive Secretary of the Ekiti State Forestry Commission, Mr.
Matthew Famuagun who received the handover letter on behalf of the
State, lauded the development but solicited the continued support of
the Federal Government in funding the project.
He also expressed appreciation to a retired Director of Forestry,
Federal Ministry of Environment, Mr. Philips Bankole, a native of Otun
Ekiti who conceived the idea of establishing the centre in 1993.
In his remarks, Mr. Philips Bankole recalled that the Center was
established in 1993 after the 1992 Rio Convention on Environment and
Development as a joint ownership between the Federal Ministry of
Environment and the Otun Community adding that the three-hectare of
land originally acquired had however increased to sixteen-hectares of
vegetation.
Stressing the need to properly maintained the establishment in order
to achieve the desire goal, Mr. Famuagun noted that” the importance of
protecting the herbs and trees that could be used for various ailments
was extensively deliberated upon at the 1992 Rio Convention in Brazil
which led to the creation of the centre”.
He also urged people in the community to continually support effects
of Government to preserve the heritage.