The Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, says his administration will clear and open up the forests in some parts of the state to make them unsafe for hoodlums terrorising residents of the state.

Gov. Ugwuanyi who this known on Wednesday during his visit to Awgu Local Government Area of the state also stated that government would take strategic steps to harness the tourism potential hidden in the remote recesses of the forests.

The governor debunked the rumour that his administration had plans to destroy the caves and other tourism artifacts in a forest located in Awgu council area on the grounds that they served as hideouts and haven for kidnappers and armed bandits.

He said that no one ever contemplated destroying the caves and other tourism relics in the area.

According to him, the government merely took an action that was intended to scare the hoodlums out of their hideouts in the forest, following a disturbing security report at his disposal.

He revealed that government’s plan was to clear and open up all the forests in order to make them impossible for hoodlums to carry out their nefarious activities there.

Ugwuanyi said that his administration would stop at nothing to make the state unattractive to criminals.

He expressed his commitment to ensuring that the reputation of the state as one of the safest in the country remained untarnished.

He further opined that opening up the forest would have positive impact on the agricultural sector, especially to enable farmers to easily access and utilise the land for agriculture.

He reassured the people of the area of the commitment of his administration to ensure even development of the entire state.

“I have no doubt that our tourism sector will benefit immensely from the caves and other tourism and cultural assets that government activities in the forest will unravel,” Ugwuanyi said.