Communities in the Okitipupa and Odigbo Local Government Areas of Ondo State have expressed concern over what they described as the persistent undermining of their welfare and the state government’s directives by a firm operating in their territory.

Infuriated by the development, leaders of the concerned communities decried the firm’s alleged continued disregard for their demands and failure to fulfill its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), as well as its violation of local content commitments, despite previous appeals and official interventions.

The affected communities include Korede, Adewinle, Ago-Oyinbo, Ago-Alafia, Oloruntedo, Ayetoro, Mobolorunduro, Mile 49 in Okitipupa Local Council Area, and Kajola Community in Odigbo Local Council Area.

During a meeting, a community leader, Chief Kehinde Oloruntobi, lamented that the firm, which holds a concession agreement for sustainable forestry management under the Ondo State Afforestation Project, has ignored its contractual and social duties.

Oloruntobi referenced a concession agreement on sustainable forestry management and exploitation of the Ondo State Afforestation Project, purportedly signed on August 17th, 2021, between the state government and Rex Forestry Limited.

He said, “This agreement stipulates, among other things, that the company must allocate one per cent of its annual budget to CSR activities, employ local persons, promote education and sanitation, provide training for employees, and adhere to sustainability standards.”

The community leader further stressed that the firm has allegedly breached the provisions by hiring external labour instead of local workers and appointing an external community liaison officer, as well as “failing to allocate the required one per cent of its budget to CSR programmes and neglecting its duty to promote education, sanitation and skills training.”

Oloruntobi noted that a meeting with the Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Leye Akinola, a few months ago produced a seven‑point agenda that included the employment of indigenes, awarding contracts to locals, transparent CSR accounting, and the placement of indigenes in top‑management positions.

“They violated government instructions by not aligning with the seven-point agenda earlier stated in the meeting held in Akure.

With the meeting ending in a deadlock, a youth leader, Sunday Aro, urged the state government under the leadership of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to act swiftly to prevent a breakdown of peace and ensure the firm is held accountable for its commitments.

However, the affected communities have forwarded a letter to the Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, detailing the unresolved issues from the earlier peace meeting.

Meanwhile, as of press time, efforts to get an immediate reaction from the firm were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to the adviser of the company were not responded to.