A private company has been allocated thousands of hectares currently occupied by farmers in a government forest reserve in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, for the cultivation of oil palm. As a result, the affected cocoa farmers have appealed to the state government to reconsider its decision to evict them from the reserve.
The farmers claimed that security operatives have been sent to chase them away from their farms, and they have lodged a petition through their lawyer, Tope Temokun, protesting the forceful eviction from Oluwa Forest Reserve by Amotekun operatives and other local militia. The lawyer stated that the farmers have been in the location for over two decades and were duly registered with the government.
“We have brought this petition on behalf of farmers numbering 10,000 who engage mainly in cocoa farming in commercial quantity at their various camps in Oluwa Forest Reserve anand who also trade in cocoa business,” the lawyer said.
“Our Clients were registered as farmers in the government forest reserve and for this, they paid the sum of N4,000 registration fee each and paid the sum of N4,000.00 each for issuance of ID Cards, though the cards paid for were not issued to them all.
“In consequence of their registration with the government, as farmers engaging in agricultural activities, they were directed to pay an annual rent of N10,000 per farmer either individually or camp by camp, to the Ondo State Government.”
According to him, the farmers were taken aback when they were suddenly confronted by hundreds of armed men on 18 April, who invaded the forest and shot at them, causing them to flee in fear. He appealed to the government to adhere to due process and allow the farmers ample time to harvest their crops before eviction.
However, the state's Commissioner for Information, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, countered the appeal by stating on Friday that government-owned forest reserves prohibit farming and hunting activities. Ademola-Olateju emphasized that forest reserves belong to the government.
“It is called encroachment and poaching respectively, and it will not be tolerated,” the commissioner said.
“Many of these squatters have long inhabited these forests and have developed a false sense of ownership.
“It is no longer news that our forests have become spaces for criminal activities and hideouts for kidnappers, terrorists, ritual killers, and armed robbers who launch attacks on travelers.
“A few years ago, to prevent our forests from becoming ungoverned spaces, where terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and allied criminal actors situate their bases and camping grounds, we embarked on the registration of farmers in our forest reserves as part of our security strategy.
“While that was ongoing, the Central Bank of Nigeria created a window for states to develop commodities that are useful for import substitution. Ondo State keyed in and identified oil palm as a crop in which we have competitive advantage.
“Immediately, we envisioned the Red Gold project and prioritized oil palm cultivation. For this purpose, one hundred thousand hectares (100,000 ha) was earmarked, of which 100ha will be treated as free and declassified.
“Two leading companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange that are players in the oil palm value chain indicated interest as investors. One of them is SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited. Our drive to open part of the Oluwa forest reserve is strictly a deliberate policy geared towards putting the state on a solid economic footing and less dependence on federal monthly allocation.
“From the onset, registration of farmers in the forest is not the same as conferment of ownership. It was done mainly for identification.
“The state can evict squatters anytime, and whenever the need arises.
“The resort to blackmail by squatters who have granted themselves ownership and appointed Baale for themselves will not stand.”
Despite this, Mrs. Ademola-Olateju stated that the state government has had numerous engagements with the farmers and has proposed plans to settle them on 100 hectares of modern, organized farming land, for those who have been farming on government land.
She cautioned that no form of malicious allegations or false information would cause the government to reverse its decision on the utilization of its land.
Regarding the matter of payment to the government, the Commissioner for Information clarified that rent was meant to be paid annually.
“We challenge the over ‘10,000’ farmers to produce evidence of payments to the government since they were registered,” she said.
“We have ceded 100 ha to them and SAO Agro plans its expansion in phases and in ways that will cause them to harvest their crops.”
