By Muftau Ogunyemi
Farmers at Oluwa Forest Reserve (OA3A) in Odigbo, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State on Wednesday protested and blocked Ore-Benin expressway over illegal eviction and destruction of farmland by the state government.
The farmers numbering about 10,000 carried different placards of various inscriptions such as “Our Land Is Weeping Because The Land Keepers Are Being Displaced; Where Do We Farm If Our Land Is Taking Away; Respect The Farmers Because We Give Life; Farming Is Our Job We Are Not Criminals; We Pay Our Rent Government Leave US Alone; We Don’t Use Land Free We Pay” among others.
The farmers, who were mainly cocoa plantations farmers and other cash crops took to the expressway said that over seven different settlements with 45 camps had been displaced by the action of the state government.
One of the farmers while speaking with the newsmen, Mr Odugbemi Omolewa of Temidire Camp said that the private company which the state government sold their farmland to stormed the farms with earthmoving equipment to uprooting their cocoa trees filled with seedlings without notice.
Omolewa, who said some of the farmers had been planting cocoa, Kolanut, palm tree and others in the farm for 20 years to improve the state economy said it was sold to private company to plant palm tree only.
“In the camp I belong to , we have paid N5million yearly as dues to government, even we have paid more than N3million for the 2022 levels to the government.
” We are surprised that our farmland of over 20 years could be sold to foreign investor to plant what we already have in the farm that is doing well.
“So, we are begging the state government to reconsider us and look for somewhere else for their private investigator to plant thier palm trees.
“It will surprised you that two among our farmers have died as a result of the destruction of their cocoa plantations.,” he said.
Also speaking, a 29 year-old graduate, Adetoro Opeyemi, appealed to the state government not to push youths into robbery and other social vices.
“I am graduate and I can not steal that is why I was into farming for living after looking for white collar’s job without anyone. My camp had been paying their dues yearly which was N3 million.
“So the land we are using is not free, its a rented land through state government authorized agent,” he said.
Mr Akin Olotu, Senior Special Assistant on Agric and Agribusiness to the governor said the farmland was destroyed to pave way for palm tree which could generate more revenue for the government in the world market.
He said that the forest was being cleared to give way for planting of oil palm as requested by Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) which requested each state to chose two crops in which it has comparative advantage for investors to come in.
Olotu, who said that the total of what farmers paid for was not up to 100 hectares of land occupied said government had stopped their registration since 2022.
“For the fact that you are tenant in someone house doesn’t confirmed you as ownership and nobody is sending people on unemployment market because those affected will be taking care of by the government.
“Government has earmarked 1,000 hectares of farmland for them to stay in one place and will provides seedlings as a support. And those claimed that they have paid should brings their receipts forward.
“And if we have people with the receipt, we are going to accommodate them,” Olotu said.(NAN)