Ondo farmers, govt crisis deepen

Forum 1 year ago

Ondo farmers, govt crisis deepen

The crisis between farmers in the Ondo state government reserves a Ross the state has deepened as the government withdrew the policy accommodating them in the reserves.

Recall that over 10,000 farmers in Oluwa Forest Reserve in the Odigbo council area of the state, forcibly evicted by a private company protested last week.

The farmers who alleged that the private company has destroyed their farmland and evicted them accused the state government of giving their farmlands to the company without carrying them along.

Their spokesperson, Mr Adetoro Opeyemi, said that the company had stormed their farms with earthmoving equipment and uprooted their cocoa trees most of which were filled with seedlings.

The protesting farmers displayed placards with various inscriptions such as ‘Our land is weeping because the land keepers are being displaced, ‘ ‘Where do we farm if our land is taken away?’ ‘Respect the farmers because we give life,’ among others.

He said some of the farmers had been planting cocoa, Kolanut, palm trees and others on the farm for 20 years to improve the state’s economy.

“In the camp where I belong, we have paid annual dues of N5 million to the government.

“We are surprised that our farmlands of over 20 years could be sold to an investor to plant what we already have in the farm that is doing well.

“So, we are begging the government to consider our plight and look for somewhere else for the private investors to plant their palm trees.

But, the state government, in a statement by the Executive Director, of State Internal Revenue Service, ODIRS, Tolu Adegbie, announced the withdrawal of the policy to temporarily accommodate farmers farming illegally in the State Forest Reserves by paying rent of ten thousand naira per hectare annually.

Adegbie said that the state government has “not issued any rent Assessment/Payment Advice for annual rent on government land in the State Forest Reserve for the year 2023.

” The rent assessments and outstanding payments for 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 issued and have not been paid are hereby cancelled.

“Ondo State Internal Revenue Service does not have any staff in the Forest Reserves to collect rent on government land, therefore, no Consultant, enforcement team, Olu, Baale, company or anyone should collect any rent on any land in the State Government Forest Reserves.

“Anyone that demands any rent on behalf of the State Government is an impostor and should be treated as such.

“We wish to state clearly that no farmer should pay any rent on government land in the Forest Reserves into Ondo State Government account for any reason using the old assessments in their possession as no receipt will be processed for any farmer with regards to such payment.

“The Ondo State Government has ceased to have any revenue relationship with any farmer farming illegally in the State Forest Reserves as regards rent on government land.

Recall, that the state government had insisted that it will not allow farming and hunting in its forest reserves any longer.

The state government said that “Forest Reserves in Ondo State, like others in Nigeria, were primarily created to serve as sanctuaries for endangered species of plants and animals and to preserve forests for the benefit of mankind.

“Forest Reserves are government-owned, and the government of Ondo State declares categorically, that, farming and hunting in its forest reserves are illegal acts.