On Monday, the Ondo State Government refuted allegations of selling a cocoa plantation and displacing farmers from their agricultural lands in Ilua Community, situated within the Ondo West Local Government Area of the state.
Over the weekend, the farmers within the community organized a demonstration, asserting that the government had transferred ownership of their cocoa plantations and other farmlands to foreign companies. The farmers, assembling in significant numbers with signs that read, ‘This is another form of slavery,’ ‘We reject the destruction of our cocoa farms,’ ‘No farmers, no nation,’ ‘Our livelihood is farming, not theft,’ ‘Aketi, do not sell our lands to Chinese entities,’ ‘Allow us to farm here, we have nowhere else to go,’ among others.
They alleged that the state government had served them with eviction notices, affecting all 20 villages within the region, demanding that they vacate their lands. Additionally, the demonstrators claimed that government officials had issued threats of forced eviction if they did not relocate by year-end.
The traditional leader of the Ilua Community, Oba Olalani Ibidapo, voiced concerns that certain individuals had entered their villages and erected signposts suggesting that the state government had sold their lands and villages to Chinese and Indian corporations.
He said, “They said the government has issued a 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.
“We heard suddenly 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.”
Also in his comment, the Chairman of Youths of Laje community, Laoso District, Ondo West, Akinbami Philip appealed to the government to rescind the 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. The government asked us to pay money and we are faithful to it. Every year, the government gave us payment advice, sometimes N3 million and we did pay.
However, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor, on Agriculture and Agric-business Mr. Akin Olotu, the government was not displacing villagers particularly those occupying free areas in the state, saying no sensible government would displace anybody in any free area.
Olotu in a statement said, “We want to look into the matter, I will invite their representatives, we will sit down together and look at a win-win situation and see how we can accommodate their interests in what we are doing.
“Governance is about the people. So when we see what is on the ground, we will know what to do. Our little investigation shows that where they are is even out of where those people are coming to work.
“So maybe it’s anticipatory action, that may be. We will send government surveyors there to confirm the precise location, If anybody is affected, we will look at whether it’s a government reserve because nobody came to us in the office and I think that should be the first thing to do, to inform us about what is going on there.”
