Edo Community Protests Fraudulent Acquisition of Farmland by Agric Firm

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin-City

The Ologbo-nugu community in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State has sent a Save-Our-Soul (SOS) message to the state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, over the forceful takeover of their land by an agricultural firm.

The members of the community, who said that  they were not opposed to the investment and industrial development by Obaseki-led administration, however frowned on the activities of Barnsley Nigeria Limited (BNL), the operators of SARO Farms who are hell bent on frustrating the governor’s good intentions.

The protesting indigenes  carried various placards with different inscriptions such as: “SARO, leave 250 hectares for us to farm or Quit our land,” “Dr. Tunde, Stop Deceiving Us” “Dr. Tunde Says We Have Nobody Who Can Dare Him,” “Keep To The Agreement To Leave 250 Hectares For Us,” “SARO, Stop Oppressing Us. This Is The Only Land We Have.”

They also demanded that their stake in the agricultural project in the community be properly defined, hence the protest and SOS on the state governor to intervene.

Speaking to journalists 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 their land without leaving a space for the community to farm.

Pa. Osaigbovo lamented that they do not have land to cultivate food crops because the company reneged on the instruction of the Governor Obaseki to leave 250 hectares for them to farm knowing  very  well what people pass through because of lack of food stuffs.

He said: “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.

“You can imagine them 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.”

The community’s general secretary, Mr. Godwin Sorae Enoguan; Youth Leader, Mr. Osasere Ezolobo and Woman Leader, Mrs. Justina Osakue also emphasised 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.

“Three years ago, we were told that 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,” the trio said.

They also disclosed that the refusal of the company’s 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 prompted the protest.

One of the community leaders, Mr. Godwin Erhahon, further alleged that the company prepared a one-sided Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and took same to the community for their leaders to sign, which was rejected.

He noted that certain Dr. Tunde who is in charge of Saro’s ‘ Community Relations was reported to have boasted to  that they (community) do not have anybody who can dare him, adding that that  comment was what has provoked the Diasporan Association of Ologbo-nugu.

“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 hectare,” a former Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council, Mr. Godwin Erhahon, asked.

Erhahon said that the governor himself told him that what is in the company’s brief before him is to leave 250 hectares of land for the community for their farming.

He said: “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. Not they, in their sadist capitalist mentality,choosing for us.

“To reciprocate the respect that the governor has accorded us, we will consider only the 250 hectares if allocated to us in our chosen location.

“For peace to reign, 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. He needs to be tamed.

“We appeal to the President and Commander-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 Saro’s officials in Edo State,” he said.

When contacted, Dr. Tunde Faturoti, representing Barnsley Nigeria Limited, which operates Saro Farms, directed inquiries to the Edo State Investment Promotion Office (EDSIPO) for further information on the matter.

However, in a swift response, the Managing Director, Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ESIPO), 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 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.