Cocoa farmers protest eviction from Ondo forest reserve

Thousands of cocoa farmers in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State have appealed to the state government to reconsider its moves to evict them from a government forest reserve.

The state government said it has allocated thousands of hectares currently occupied by the farmers in the reserve to a private company for the cultivation of oil palm.

The farmers said the state government, which accused them of “encroachment and poaching”, has sent security operatives to chase them away from their farms.

In a petition to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, the farmers through their lawyer protested the forceful eviction from Oluwa Forest Reserve by Amotekun operatives and other local militia.

The lawyer, Tope Temokun, in his petition, said the farmers had been in the location for over two decades and were duly registered with the government.

“We have brought this petition on behalf of farmers numbering 10,000 who engage mainly in cocoa farming in commercial quantity at their various camps in Oluwa Forest Reserve anand who also trade in cocoa business,” the lawyer said.

“Our Clients were registered as farmers in the government forest reserve and for this, they paid the sum of N4,000 registration fee each and paid the sum of N4,000.00 each for issuance of ID Cards, though the cards paid for were not issued to them all.

“In consequence of their registration with the government, as farmers engaging in agricultural activities, they were directed to pay an annual rent of N10,000 per farmer either individually or camp by camp, to the Ondo State Government.”

He said the farmers were surprised when on 18 April hundreds of armed men stormed the forest shooting and scaring away the farmers.

He urged the government to follow due process and give the farmers enough time to harvest their crops.

However, the state Commissioner for Information, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, said on Friday that forest reserves belong to the government, and farming and hunting are forbidden there.

“It is called encroachment and poaching respectively, and it will not be tolerated,” the commissioner said.

“Many of these squatters have long inhabited these forests and have developed a false sense of ownership.

“It is no longer news that our forests have become spaces for criminal activities and hideouts for kidnappers, terrorists, ritual killers, and armed robbers who launch attacks on travellers.

“A few years ago, to prevent our forests from becoming ungoverned spaces, where terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and allied criminal actors situate their bases and camping grounds, we embarked on the registration of farmers in our forest reserves as part of our security strategy.

“While that was ongoing, the Central Bank of Nigeria created a window for states to develop commodities that is useful for import substitution. Ondo State keyed in and identified oil palm as a crop in which we have competitive advantage.

“Immediately, we envisioned the Red Gold project and prioritised oil palm cultivation. For this purpose, one hundred thousand hectares (100,000 ha) was earmarked, of which 100ha will be treated as free and declassified.

“Two leading companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange that are players in the oil palm value chain indicated interest as investors. One of them is SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited. Our drive to open part of the Oluwa forest reserve is strictly a deliberate policy geared towards putting the state on a solid economic footing and less dependence on federal monthly allocation.

“From the onset, registration of farmers in the forest is not the same as conferment of ownership. It was done mainly for identification.

“The state can evict squatters anytime, and whenever the need arises.

“The resort to blackmail by squatters who have granted themselves ownership and appointed Baale for themselves will not stand.”

Mrs Ademola-Olateju, however, said the state government had engaged the farmers many times and discussed plans to settle those who farm on government land on 100 hectares in modern, organised farming.

She warned that no amount of blackmail and misinformation would make the government rescind its decision on the use of its land.

On the issue of money paid to the government, the information commissioner said rent was supposed to be paid annually.

“We challenge the over ‘10,000’ farmers to produce evidence of payments to the government since they were registered,” she said.

“We have ceded 100 ha to them and SAO Agro plans its expansion in phases and in ways that will cause them to harvest their crops.”