Protest Erupts In Ondo Over Alleged Plot By Govt To Sell Farmers' Cocoa Plantations

....Govt Didn't Sell Farms, Quit Notice Fake —Akeredolu's Aide

By: Promise Adagba

More than 50,000 farmers and inhabitants of some villages in Ondo West Local Government area of Ondo State have staged a peaceful mass protest to reject alleged plot by the State government to sell their farmlands and Cocoa plantations to  foreign companies.

The farmers, who converged on Ilua village in Ondo West Council area in large number with placards on weekend, also alleged that the state government had issued a quite notice to all the farmers in all the 20 villages in the area to vacate their farms.

Daring the downpour, the protesters also alleged that government officials have threatened to evacuate them forcefully if they failed to relocate before the end of the year.

Addressing newsmen before the mammoth crowd, the traditional head of Ilua, His Royal Highness Oba Olalani Ibidapo, said: "There were some people who came to our villages and started errecting signposts that the state government has sold our farmlands and villages to Chinese and Indian companies.

"They said government has issued notice that we should quit our farms and villages because the companies wanted to move in and take over our farms and villages.

"We have been here for over 100 years and we are here farming, no other things. I have more than 19 villages under me here, Ilua, Laoso, Adejori, Logunofe, Keseomi, Obadore, Obakele, Ilua 2, Kangidi, Oloruntedo, Abayemisi and Magbaralewon just to mention a few.

"Other communities protesting with us Oloruntedo, Aba Tiamiyu, Osu Tokunbo, Abana, Olorunsogo and other communities.

"We heard sundenly that we should move out unexpectedly. Where are we going to go. Look at our people, no work. We have graduates among us here, but since there's no job, they ventured into farming.

"We are protesting against this policy and we also appeal to our Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to please consider our situation here. 

"We are large communities and that's why state government itself provided health centres, schools and polling units for us here. 

"We voted for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other candidates of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last general elections. We are more than 50,000 in terms of population.

"But I want government to take note that If they insist on ejecting us, there would be problem. Many of the victims would turn to criminals. 

"Look at youths working on the farm, government should be happy about this development. Look at the crowd."

The protesters, who were chanting "All we are saying, leave us alone," had different inscriptions on their placards among which are "This is another Slavery," "We say no to the destruction of our cocoa farms," "No Farmers, No Nation', "We don't want to steal, farming is our job," "Aketi should not sell our lands to Chinese," "They should leave us here to farm, we have no where to go," "Cocoa farm is our livelihood, don't chase us out," "Cocoa farm is what we live on, don't sell the lands to China."

In his comment, the Chairman of Youths of Laje community, Laoso District, Ondo West, Akinbami Philip said: "We are begging our governor to rescind this policy and order.

"We have graduates who have farms here, we want the government to leave us so that we would continue working on our farms. This is where we feed our families.

"Government asked us to pay money and we are faithful to it. Every year, government did give us payment advice, sometimes N3million and we did pay. But now, they no longer give us payment advice. The last time we paid to the government coffers was in 2021 because they don't give us payment advice again.

"What we think is that the government wants to sell these lands totally. This would make us suffer. We have started seeing whitemen coming to the land, we are against this policy."

Another community leader, Prince Francis Adewole called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to help them prevail on Governor Akeredolu to allow them continue working on their cocoa and plantain farms.

"We are begging President Tinubu also to help us appeal to Governor Akeredolu to give us a chance to enjoy what we have laboured for. We have been here for over 100 years, we have lots of cocoa plantations, plantain farms, kolanuts farms and other crops. We are many here and our only occupation is farming, Prince Adewole said.

Prince Adefuape Coker-Adegoke explained that most of the farmers are from Ondo town. He said their parents had been working on the farmlands several decades ago.

Likewise, Oladapo Joseph appealed to the state government to stop the clearing of their farmlands in the communities. He said the action is affecting their livelihood.

Antony Confidence is a Primary 5 pupil in Ilua community, she also appealed to the state government to allow their parents to remain on their farms in order not to disrupt the children's academic pursuits.

Ademola Ajibola, who studied Physics, disclosed that he decided to venture into farming when he couldn't get a job in the city.

He said: "We are highly surprised by the state government's action against us. We have been here for many years, I am a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, but no job. Yet I decided to venture into cocoa farming. We do pay to the government our dues till 2021 when we saw some people erecting signpost on our farms. They said they were given the order to come and destroy our cocoa and other plantations. Where do we go from here?

"We have villages all around here, no hideout for bandits or criminals. We are protesting because the government would not let us breathe. Food security is our watchword here, we sell foods to the people in town. If we are being evacuated from here, I don't know what might be the result. But if this policy of leaving here is being carried out, there would be social implications, there would be disaster."

Mrs. Akinduro Faith, an elder in the community, lamented that instead of being encouraged by the state government for going into farming, the governmenti allegedly wanted to eject them from their farmlands.

She said: "Sometimes last year, we were given notice that some people were being arrested here, so we should leave this place. They are ready to destroy all our properties.

"We are not criminals here, we are farmers, we should be encouraged instead of this. We do pay our dues. When it is election period, they do come here and we do vote for them. Why are they claiming that people are not here? 

"It is a pity, I don't have anywhere to go, we depend on farm work here, no other work for me. Where do you want over 50,000 people to go? We are doing fine here, they should look into the situation, because if not, we women would carry guns and turn to criminals."

However, the Senior Special Assistant (Agric & Agribusiness) to the governor, Pastor Akin Olotu has denied the allegations.

He distanced the state government from such quit notice and sale of the people's farms to anyone or firm, adding that Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu is not out to punish anyone but to make things better for the people of the state.

According to Olotu, "No government will displace anybody in any free area. We will look at the area. I will invite their representatives and we will sit down together and look at a win-win situation. How we can accommodate their interest in what we are doing. 

"Governace is about the people. When we see what's on ground, we will know what to do. My little investigation shows that where they are is out of the place those people(companies) are coming to work. Maybe it's anticipatory action. 

"So, we will send government's surveyors there to confirm the precise location. If anybody is affected. Nobody came to us in the office, I think that should be the first thing to do.

"We will find out and see what's going on there. We will see how we can resolve everything amicably. We will find out if it's governmenti reserved area or free area and we will know what to do. But I want to assure them that nobody's interest will be jeopardized. The Governor is not out to punish anybody but to make things better," Olotu said.