The Ologbo-Nugu community in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State has sent a Save–Our-Soul (SOS) message to Governor Godwin Obaseki over what it termed the forceful takeover of its land by an agricultural firm.
While the community said it was not averse to the investment and great industrial development by the Obaseki-led administration, it, however, frowned at the activities of the agricultural firm, Barnsley Nigeria Limited, operators of SARO Farms, which it accused of frustrating the governor’s good intentions.
The company, in a reaction, dismissed the accusation as mere propaganda.
During a protest on Thursday, the indigenes of the community, who carried various placards with different inscriptions demanded that their stake in the agricultural project in the community be properly defined, hence the SOS call on the state governor to intervene.
Speaking to journalists, the Odionwere (oldest man) of Ologbo-Nugu, Pa. Aduwa Osaigbovo, aged 96, declared that what they were protesting “is the very crude and barbaric approach deployed by SARO Farms to grab our land without leaving a space for the community to farm.”
Pa Osaigbovo lamented that the villagers did not have land again to cultivate food crops since the company reneged on the instruction of the Governor Obaseki to leave 250 hectares for them to farm knowing full well what people pass through because of lack of foodstuffs.
“What we are protesting is the very crude, barbaric, oppressive and exploitative approach by which SARO Farms grabbed our land without leaving space for us to farm. Imagine, taking over 600 hectares of our farmland, leaving less than 50 hectares for us the rightful landlords.
“They even lied to the governor that they left 250 hectares for us. They carried many soldiers along with them to intimidate our people both in their farms and in the community whenever they had to meet with our people.” the Odionwere alleged.
The community secretary, Godwin Sorae Enoguan; youth leader, Mr. Osasere Ezolobo and woman leader, Justina Osakue, also addressed the issue, emphasising that the land in question was part of the Urhonigbe Forest Reserve and that the government had promised to allocate 250 hectares to the community.
“Three years ago, we were told the government had sold the land. We appealed to the government and were assured of the 250 hectares. When SARO Farms arrived, they brought bulldozers and military personnel to forcibly remove us from our farms. To avoid violence, we decided to appeal to the government to fulfill its promise,” they explained.
Also, the woman leader in the community, Mrs, Osakue disclosed the refusal of the company management to discuss terms of the occupation of their land by refusing to engage their experts to join the company’s enumerators in the assessment of crops for compensation as well as discuss royalty.
On the part of the youth leader, “they prepared a one-sided Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and took it to the community for their leaders to sign but the community rejected it.
“Why should they lie to the governor who has become a friend of the community that they left 250 hectares for us when in actual fact, they only ceded 50 hectares”, a former chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council, Mr. Godwin Erhahon said.
Erhahon, who also hails from the embattled community and the national leader of the community, said Governor Obaseki himself told him that what was in the company’s brief to him was to leave 250 hectares of land for the community for their farming.
“As we said earlier, we are not against Barnsley Nigeria Limited, operators of SARO investing on our land. But we insist that we have the right to decide what part and size of our land we can spare to them. To reciprocate the respect that the governor has accorded us, we will consider the only 250 hectares if allocated to us in our chosen location.
“For peace to rain, SARO should send Dr. Tunde away from the entire project so that he won’t continue to jeopardise our relationship. Imagine, after hearing that journalists will be visiting the farm today, he sent threat messages to some of our leaders at home last night.
“We appeal to the President and Commander-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bola Tinubu to order the Chief of Army Staff to withdraw all the soldiers he illegally assigned to SARO’S officials in Edo State,” he said.
When contacted, Dr. Tunde Faturoti, a representative of Barnsley Limited, referred journalists to Kelvin Uwaibi, Managing Director, Edo State Investment Promotion Office (EDSIPO) for further information on the matter.
Reacting, the Managing Director (MD), Edo State Investment Promotion Office (EDSIPO), Mr. Kelvin Uwaibi said, “this is the period of propaganda, whoever told the media about SARO Farms story may not be saying the truth.
However, there is need for all parties, including the media to sit down and find out what went wrong.”
Uwaibi was, however, puzzled about why his name was mentioned in the context of the SARO Farms story and believes a thorough discussion is needed to address any misunderstandings.
READ ALSO: Gov Abiodun distributes 24,000 bags of fertiliser to Ogun farmers
