Women, youths protest alleged destruction of farms, livelihoods in Edo

Elders and inhabitants of the Ologbo Nugu community in Orhionmwon Local Council of Edo State staged a peaceful protest yesterday.

The protesters, mainly women and youths, demanded that the destruction of their farmlands, which they described as their only source of livelihood, stop.

They condemned Barnsley Oil Palm Plc, the owners of Saro Farms Limited, for allegedly wantonly destroying crops on their farmlands.

The protesters brandished placards with inscriptions such as ‘Keep to the agreement to leave 250 hectares for us’, ‘No MoU, no land for Saro’, ‘This is the only land we have’, ‘Saro, stop oppressing us’, etc.

They appealed to Governor Godwin Obaseki to intervene to avert a bloody communal crisis as a result of the alleged destruction and land-grabbing activities of Saro Farms.

The protesters, led by a nonagenarian and the community’s Odionwere (head), Pa. Aduwa Osaigbovo, said the agro-based firm has made life unbearable for them. Most of their farmlands have been devastated by bulldozers working daily for the firm.

According to them, the land grab has destroyed their only means of livelihood as an agrarian community.

The youths and women, led by Osasere Izevboku and Justina Osakwe, expressed their frustration at the agro-based company for allocating 250 hectares of land for farming purposes.

They appealed to the governor and the Benin monarch to come to their rescue following alleged harassment by security operatives deployed by the firm and the refusal by the company to fulfil an agreement.

Osaigbovo said the firm reached a decision with the community and the state government to give 250 hectares of farmland to the community’s inhabitants to be properly delineated and defined for their farming purposes. However, the firm refused and gave them only 50 hectares.

He said: “We are poor farmers who rely on farming as the only source of livelihood, and over the years, these farming activities have been carried out in the designated land (Sakponba Forest Reserve) by the inhabitants of Ologbo Nugu community after payment of fees to the Edo State government.”

When contacted via telephone, Dr Tunde Faturoti, the Project Director of Saro Oil Palm Limited, declined to comment.

He asked journalists to contact the Edo State Government through the Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ESIPO).

Reacting, the Managing Director of ESIPO, Kevin Uwaibi, denied knowing about the crisis between the Ologbo Nugo community and Saro Farms.

“This is the period of propaganda. I suggest all parties should sit down to discuss,” Uwaibi said.