joshuaUnlawful Acquisition Of Farm Land:
Community Leader Appeals To President Tinubu To Order Withdrawal Of Soldiers
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City
A former chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Edo State Council , and a National Leader of Ologbo-Nugu Community, Comrade Godwin Erhahon, has called on President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, to please order the withdrawal of soldiers assigned to officials of Barnsley Oil Palm Plc (SARO Farms).
Comrade Erhahon who. Is equally a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said the way the SARO Farm Officials are using soldiers to harass his people in their farms tends to reduce the duty of our military to that of attack dogs that have no rules of engagement.
Erhahon reiterated that his people are not against SARO investing on their land but that they should do so in line with their mutual agreement to leave 250 hectares for the community to farm.
“We are not opposed to the investment and great industrial development by Obaseki-led administration, but we oppose the activities of Barnsley Nigeria Limited, operators of SARO Farms who are hell bent on frustrating the governor’s good intentions.
Erhahor stressed that, I confronted Governor Godwin Obaseki on the refusal of the company to leave enough land for my people to farm and the Governor replied me clearly that the company briefed him that they left 250 hectares for the community . Whereas what they left is less than 50 hectares.
“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”, Erhahon queried.
“As I said earlier, we are not against Barnsley Nigeria Limited, operators of SARO investing on our land.but they should respect our right to have the mutually agreed size of the land ceded to us for farming.
The former NUJ chairman stated that, 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.
He urged the company, SARO Farms to send Dr. Tunde away from the entire project so that he won’t continue to jeopardize our relationship. Imagine, after hearing that journalists will be visiting the farm on Thursday, Dr Tunde stormed the farm with several Hilux full of soldiers to chase our people out of their farms. He needs to be tamed.
Erhahor appealed to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order the Chief of Army Staff to withdraw all the Soldiers he illegally assigned to the community.
The Odionwere (Custodian) of Ologbo-Nugu, Pa. Aduwa Osaigbovo, aged 96, declared that what they are 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 they don’t have land again to cultivate food crops since the community reneged on the instruction of the Governor Obaseki to leave 250 hectares for them to farm knowing fully well what people pass through because of lack of food stuffs.
Adding that, 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.
Stating that, the company is 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 have to meet with our people.”
Godwin Sorae Enoguan, the Community Secretary, Youth Leaders, Mr. Osasere Ezolobo and Woman Leader, Justina Osakue also addressed the issue. They emphasized that the land in question is part of the Urhonigbe Forest Reserve and that the government had promised to allocate 250 hectares to the community.
