Investors in the Oluwa Forest Reserve, Ondo State, have distanced themselves from the allegations of forceful take over of lands and destruction of farmlands of the protesting cocoa farmers in the state.
One of the investors, an agricultural firm, SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited, disclosed that the protesting farmers are illegal occupants of the forest as the state government has sold out the land to the firms.
Speaking on the development, the Vice President of the Agro-Allied company, David Olijogun, denied the allegation of forceful eviction of the farmers, saying the firm purchased the land legally from the state government.
According to him, the farmer’s attitude and the protest by farmers would continue to discourage potential investors from investing in the state’s agricultural sector.
It will be recalled that farmers from the forest reserve on Sunday protested over the alleged forceful takeover of their farms by the private firm, alleging destruction of their farmlands.
But Olijogun maintained that the Agro-Allied company secured the Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) of the land since 2021, saying that the company legally purchased the land from the state government.
He stated d that, SAO Agro-Allied Services Ltd came to Ondo State to grow palm oil following the decision of the Federal Government to improve oil palm production.
He explained that Ondo State delineated 100,000 hectares of its forest reserves across the state to execute the project supported by the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), listing SAO Agro-Allied Services Ltd among the investors that invested in oil palm in Ondo State when the project started.
Exonerating the Vice President of SAO Agro-Allied Services Ltd, Ayo Sotinrin, he said: “Another thing I want to be made straight is the fact that they are now linking our former CEO with this issue that just happened yesterday.
“Our former CEO resigned on 7th of April. He was appointed the MD of Bank of Agriculture. So, he has resigned.
“Even all these things have been happening for the past two, four years. It’s not just happening because he was appointed the MD.
“Because the news I heard was that he is using his power to grab land from them. And this has been happening before he became the MD. and we have not even started to do anything at all.”
The investors, therefore, called on the Federal Government and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to intervene in the crisis, noting that some investors, who had shown interest in the state, have begun to develop cold feet in bringing their money to the state.
Olijogun said: “We want the state government and Federal Government to step into this. Some investors have been discouraged. The state will be affected by the actions of the farmers.
“So, all these things happening is just a way of stopping development in this state by some people who are illegal occupants.
“They are illegal occupants and I don’t believe that the government will be so unserious that they will give us C-of-O and at the same time, they will give another document to people who are not even living there legally.”
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, Red Gold Forum, Chief Henry Oladunjoye, blamed Ondo State Internal Revenue Service (ODIRS) for causing crisis in Oluwa Forest Reserve.
He alleged officials of ODIRS of double-dealing, as they collect tax from the major investors and still went behind to collect levies from the farmers who are illegal occupants of the forest reserve.
He noted that the protesting farmers have been discouraging and scaring intending investors away from coming to the state.
He said “A call by Federal Government to bridge the deficit found in Agric sector, particularly in palm oil production, made Federal Government to call on investors to invest in Agric.
“It was identified that some Forest Reserves were idle and not generating revenue for government in Ondo State. The state government dileniate some of its forest reserves, that is, forest laws removed for the investors to plant there 100,0000 hectare allocated to investors.
“10,000 hectares was allocated to us and we paid necessary revenues. We have the C-of-O since 2021. We paid all dues to the state government. We followed due process to get the lands.
“We pay average of N40m annually as tax to the state coffers. We have planted 130,000 oil palm and we still have 123,000 in the nursery to plant now.
“We have put in place various infrastructure facilities in farms and host communities besides the scholarship plan for students in the community as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
“We have invested over N15 billion in the oil palm in Ondo State. N6bn will be lost if the palm in the nursery are not planted. We have employed over 1000 people with over N30m being paid per month as workers’ salaries.
“When the state government allocated the place to us, necessary compensations were paid. We are about starting the Phase II of the planting.”
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