Ondo monarch leads protest against ejection of farmers

ANGRY farmers in Ilua village in Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State, weekend, staged a mass protest against the alleged sale of their cocoa plantations and other farmlands by the state government to foreign companies.

The protesters were led by the traditional ruler of Ilua, Oba Olalani Ibidapo.

The aggrieved farmers displayed placards with various inscriptions such as ‘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 nowhere 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.’

Speaking with newsmen, Oba Ibidapo, said: “There were some people who came to our villages and started erecting signposts that the state government has sold our farmlands and villages to Chinese and Indian companies.

“They said the state 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 and they include Ilua, Laoso, Adejori, Logunofe, Keseomi, Obadore, Obakele, Ilua 2, Kangidi, Oloruntedo, Abayemisi and Magbaralewon among others.

“We are protesting against this policy and we also appeal to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to please consider our situation here.

“But I want the state government to take note that if they insist on ejecting us, there would be a problem. Many of the victims would turn to criminals.”

Also speaking, the chairman, Youths of Laje community, Laoso District, Ondo West, Mr 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.”

On his part, one of the affected farmers, a graduate of Physics, Ademola Ajibola, told newsmen that he decided to venture into farming when he couldn’t get a job in the city.

When contacted to comment on the alleged ejection of the farmers, the Senior Special Assistant (Agric and Agribusiness) to the governor, Akin Olotu, denied the allegations.

Olotu said that the state government didn’t issue such quit notice and did not sell farms to anyone or foreign firms.

Quadri Olaitan