Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has strongly denied making any promises to support illegal occupants of government land or forest reserves during his electioneering campaigns. His statement comes amidst growing tensions between the state government and farmers who claim to have been displaced by land-grabbing activities in the Oluwa Forest Reserve.
Farmers operating within the Oluwa Forest have accused SAO Agro of seizing their lands and destroying their crops, despite having paid annual land rent to the state government. However, the Vice President of SAO Agro, David Olijogin, countered these claims, asserting that the company legally secured the 10,000 hectares in question and has been paying N40 million annually to the state government. Olijogin also stressed that SAO Agro risks losing N6.5 billion if it fails to meet its commitment to plant 123,000 oil palm seedlings within the stipulated time frame.
Governor Aiyedatiwa, in a statement issued through his Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, rejected the farmers' allegations, labeling them as an attempt to undermine his administration’s efforts to reform and sanitize land use practices within the state’s reserve areas. He emphasized that his administration remains fully committed to the welfare of genuine farmers and the legal use of only declassified, degraded forest reserves for agricultural purposes.
The governor clarified that many of the aggrieved farmers occupying parts of the Oluwa Forest Reserve had breached restrictions and illegally encroached into protected areas without proper authorization. He further explained that those who have failed to comply with the agreed-upon land use terms pose significant environmental and security risks to the state.
Aiyedatiwa also addressed allegations involving Mr. Ayo Sotinrin, Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, clarifying that claims of land grabbing linked to Sotinrin are "malicious" and "unfounded." He emphasized that SAO Agro operates under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement approved by the state government since 2021, with all of its land acquisitions and agro-industrial developments following due process and full government oversight.
In response to the ongoing controversy, Governor Aiyedatiwa assured the public that an investigation is underway to identify legitimate farmers with verifiable claims, while separating them from illegal occupants and speculators. He reiterated his administration’s dedication to supporting legal, inclusive, and sustainable agricultural development in the state.
