Ayedun (Ekiti) – Smokers in rural areas have been cautioned against careless tossing of smouldering cigarette butts into bush to avert fire disaster.
Mr Joseph Ayodele, a farmer and community leader, gave this warning on Tuesday in an interview with newsmen in Odo-Ayedun in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti.
Ayodele noted that some farmers, who smoke on their way to farm, do carelessly throw away cigarette butts after taking the last puff.
“This act is capable of causing fire disaster which could ravage cocoa, kolanut, palm tree plantations and other economic crops,“ he said.
He appealed to community heads in the area to “as a matter of urgency, orientate people on the need to avoid throwing away lit cigarette carelessly. “
He urged commercial motorcyclists plying footpaths to farm settlements in the area to be careful on how they discard cigarette butts when on motorcycle.
Ayodele also admonished hunters and herdsmen to desist from indiscriminate bush burning for bush meat, saying their action could cause great damage to farmers.
He appealed to rural dwellers in the community to always be their neighbour’s keeper and alert other people, whenever there is fire occurrence.
