AKETI TOOK OVER IDANRE FOREST
THE SITUATION REPORT BETWEEN AKETI GOVT. AND IDANRE COMMUNIITY
.*Below are the names of the companies an the allocations made by Ondo State government on Idanre land.
REX Forest Ltd 37,226 hectares
Blue Sky Agro Allied 2,236 hectares
SAO Agro Allied Services Ltd
10,000 hectares
* The agreement between the Idanre people and the British govt was made in 1918 and 1932.agreement
*In the Idanre people submitted the land for the protection of the British colonial power and the management of the land in the interest of the Idanre people .
Some of the provisions in the gazette are as follow:
1. That government must recognise the existing rights of the people to farm in the area 2. That government must regularly carve out additional areas as enclaves for farming in the are to the Idanre people. No govt has done this since.
3. That government cannot issue timber licence without the approval of Owa and his council of Chiefs.
At the moment more than 10,000 people are farming in the area. To displace them will amount to creating serious social unrest in the area – government must collaborate with Idanre kingdom towards integrating the people and their farms into whatever project that govt is considering for the area.
It’s equally wrongful for the government to be converting a supposed forest land to Palm tree plantations.
It’s wrong for government to alienate such a massive part of Owa’s kingdom and dole it out to private people in this case 3 companies. It’s no longer in the interest of the public.
Whatever programme that the govt has should be discussed first with the community and clearly explained to the Idanre people. Idanre people can as well be given the option of buying into the project through the farmers.
To allow such project is like approving the alienation of almost half of Idanre kingdom to some people that are hiding behind the so-called investors.
Our people will become tenants in their own land time.
On Sunday, a bulldozer accompanied by six trucks of Amotekun entered the forest and they have started clearing our people’s cocoa farmland.
The Governor this afternoon called Owa of Idanre and was raining abuses on him. He even said to hell with his old age.
As of 6.00 pm, today about six trucks loaded with soldiers are waiting at the entrance of Ofosu to invade the place.
Tension is very high at Idanre now.