Protest rocks Ondo as farmers kick against alleged sale of farmlands
COCOA farmers in Oluwa Forest Reserve in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, yesterday, protested against the sale of 2,000 hectares of their farmland to a private company by the state government. The over 10,000 farmers and tenants in the Government Fores Reserve alleged that officials of the state government sold the land in the forest reserve to a company in which they have vested interests. According to them, the sale of the land in the Government Forest Reserve was in “violation of the forestry laws of Ondo State and other relevant laws.” Addressing newsmen, the chairman and Secretary of the Oluwa Forest Reserve Farmers as well as the Head of farmers in Ijoba camp, Abayomi Isinleye, Odugbemi Omolewa and Irewole Muse said that they have been farming on the land for over 30 years. The farmers lamented that the private company, ACME Palms Limited, armed with a Certificate of Occupancy, issued by the government, dated July 23, 2021, said they had bought 2000.482 hectares ...