Farmers protest govt’s acquisition of farmland in Ekiti

Hundreds of farmers displaced by the proposed Ekiti airport yesterday staged a peaceful protest, urging the federal government to stop the project which, they disclosed has claimed ten lives.

The farmers from Aso, Igbogun, Igbemo, Iwajo and Ijan vowed to resist plan to by the State Government to drive them out of their farms and strip them of their means of their livelihoods.

Speaking at Aso-Ayegunle where they pleaded with the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe, to speak with all relevant authorities to stop the airport project that is ravaging the agriculture nerve centre of the state, they said over 250,000 families would be denied of means of livelihood if the project continues.

The owners of the 4,000 hectares of land earmarked for the construction of the proposed Airport, described the destruction of their cocoa and other valuable crops by the state government without prior notice ‘’as wicked and callous”.

The visibly enraged farmers brandished placards of various inscriptions, condemning Ekiti state government for the alleged forceful takeover of their lands and willful damage of their means of livelihood over a project they branded as a misplaced priority.

The spokesman of the group, Mr Ojo Awe faulted the government for misinterpreting the Land Use Act of 1976, which empowers government to appropriate lands for overriding public interest, still mandated that there should be dialogue with the owners before implementation.

But the State Commissioner for Information, Lanre Ogunsuyi said, the project was conceived long time ago. That land belongs to the state government. Some people are just willing to throw spanner in the wheel of progress, but we would ensure the project is a success.

The aggrieved people have means of avenues of channeling their grievances. We don’t have to hold meeting and turn anyone into a thin god in the process. If anybody wants to speak with government, there are 14 ministries they can go to.

We have a tradition of paying compensation and we would do that. But there is no way government would surrender its power to some people. The land belongs to government.

But one of the farmers, Chief John Owolabi,  disclosed the take over of their farmland has led to the demise of over ten of their members, while many are now medically challenged.