Edo Farmers Send SOS to President Tinubu Over Forceful Takeover of Land By Saro Farms
Ologbo-Nugu protesters
By Reporter
The farming community of Ologbo-Nugu in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State is presently engaged in a bitter struggle to retrieve part of their land that was forcefully ceded to Saro Farms to plant Palm trees by Edo State Government.
Members of the community are complaining about the refusal of Saro Farms to accord them access to the 250 hectares that they are permitted to carry out their farming, but which soldiers deployed by Saro farms have prevented them from.
Some members and elders of the community in a protest on Thursday appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to save their souls from Saro Farms. They also pointed to Tinubu the presence of soldiers in their community.
Some of the protesters were seen with placards that had different messages such as: “SARO, leave 250 hectares for us to farm or Quit our land”; “Dr Tunde, Stop Deceiving Us” and “Keep To The Agreement To Leave 250 Hectares For Us.”
The 96 year old Odionwere of Ologbo-Nugu, Pa. Aduwa Osaigbovo, who joined the protesters told journalists that, what they are protesting is the very “crude and barbaric” approach deployed by SARO Farms to grab their land without leaving a space for the community to farm.
He lamented that they do not have land again to cultivate food crops since the community land was taken from them by Governor Godwin Obaseki who left them with 250 hectares for them to farm, knowing fully well what they pass through because of lack of food.
“What we are protesting is the very crude, barbaric, oppressive and exploitative approach by which SARO Farms grabbed our land without leaving space for us to farm.
“You can imagine them taking over 600 hectares of our farmland, leaving less than 50 hectares for us the rightful landlords. They carried many soldiers along with them to intimidate our people both in their farms and in the community whenever they have to meet with our people.” The 96 years old Odionwere Osaigbovo complained bitterly.
The community is also demanding for their stake in the agricultural project in the community.
The youth leader Mr. Osasere Ezolobo and Woman Leader, Justina Osakue and the secretary explained that the land in question is part of the Urhonigbe Forest Reserve from which Edo State Government allocated 250 hectares to the community after giving Saro Farms the larger portion.
“Three years ago, we were told the government had sold the land. We appealed to the government and were assured of the 250 hectares. When SARO Farms arrived, they brought bulldozers and military personnel to forcibly remove us from our farms. To avoid violence, we decided to appeal to the government to fulfill its promise,” the secretary explained.
On her part, the Woman leader in the community, Mrs, Justina Osakue disclosed that, part of their problems is the refusal of the company management to discuss terms of the occupation of their land and Sara’s unwillingness to allow their educated sons and daughters to join the company’s enumerators in the assessment of crops for compensation as well as discuss royalty.
Speaking also, Ezolobor said: “They prepared a one-sided Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and took it to the community for their leaders to sign but the community rejected it.”
He blamed Dr. Tunde of SARO’S Community Relations who he said boasted that they (community) do not have anyone that can dare Saro, which has provoked Diasporan Association of Ologbo-nugu.
Comrade Godwin Erhahon who hails from the community appealed to the president to save the soulss of Ologbo-nugu people from the hands of soldiers protecting the ‘white farmers.’
“We appeal to the President and Commander-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order the Chief of Army Staff to withdraw all the soldiers he illegally assigned to SARO’S officials in Edo State… They only ceded 50 hectare.
“We insist that we have the right to decide what part and size of our land we can spare to them. Not they, in their sadist capitalist mentality choosing for us,” Comrade Erhahon stated.
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