Abia State commissioner for environment, Mr Philemon Ogbonna has warned those tampering with the forest reserves to desist from such illegality or be ready to face the full wrath of the law.
Mr Ogbonna dropped the warning while displaying to newsmen in Umuahia the woods impounded from someone who tampered on the state forest reserve at Ukpo in Bende LGA of Abia State.
According to him, 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 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.
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 half hazardly.
The commissioner said that Governor Otti has insisted that things must be done differently and appealed to people to do the right thing.
He added that the ministry has mandated officers in charge of the forest reserves to step up their work, while a meeting has been held with the forest guard charging them that they are responsible for any thing that happens within their jurisdiction as regards forest.
He used the opportunity to beg and employ the people not to visit the forest reserves without meeting with the government.
