Cocoa Farms Demolition: Ondo Farmers Call For Wemimo Akinsola Removal, Sotinrin’s resignation
The farmers in Ondo State have called for immediate removal of the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor on Agriculture and Agric-Business, Hon Rotimi Wemimo and resignation of the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture (BoA), Mr. Ayo Sotinrin following destruction of their cocoa farms in the Oluwa Forest Reserve (OA3A), Odigbo Local Government Area.
The aggrieved Farmers on Sunday morning took to Ore/Lagos Expressway in a massive protest against what they described as a government-backed land grabbing and destruction of their means of livelihood.
Speaking with Newsmen, the farmers said despite paying millions into the coffer of the state government and legally recognized by the government as farmers in the reserves, the Governor’s aide and the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture (BoA) took bulldozers to their respective farms and destroyed their cocoa farms.
The protesting farmers carried placards with different inscriptions such as “Akinsola Must Go”,” Sotinrin Must Go,” “Save Our Cocoa Farms,” “Obey Court Order,” “Aiyedatiwa Safe Our Means of Livelihood” among other messages.
” SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited, a private company owned by Sotinrin, has been bulldozing their crops and seizing portions of land they have farmed for years, despite an injunction from the Ondo State High Court ordering both the state government and SAO Agro to refrain from any demolition or eviction activities”.
The Farmers call on Governor Aiyedatiwa to quickly intervene and call Akinsola to order while also asking the farmers friendly governor to act as a matter of urgency remove Wemimo as Senior Special Assistant on Agriculture and Agribusiness in the state.
“Mr Governor, with the action and step so far taken by Wemimo, we humbly request for his sacking because he no longer represents the interests of the farmer which should ordinarily be his primary responsibility. We are no longer safe with him for as long he remains in the saddle because he prioritize the private firm over us”
They equally demanded for resignation of the Managing Director of the Bank of Industry, Ayo Sotinrin from office saying the collateral damages done by the duo of Wemimo and Sotinrin if not check will give Aiyedatiwa led administration bad name.
“We are tenants of the government, not illegal occupants,” one protester shouted through a megaphone. “We pay millions to the state every year for the right to farm here. Yet, SAO Agro, owned by the MD of the Bank of Agriculture, has come with bulldozers and destroyed our cocoa trees, even though there is a court order preventing them from doing so.”
The farmers added that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa upon assumption of office assured the farmers during several meetings that they would no longer destroy Cocoa farms in the forest, noting that every level and dues requested from them were paid accordingly.
According to the farmers: “Since Akinsola took office, he has shown total hatred, hostility, and unfriendliness towards us. He has sided openly with SAO Agro and has acted more as ‘SSA to private companies’ than to farmers”.
He has been threatening us with eviction, arrest, and detention, claiming to be acting on the orders of the Governor.”
The farmers further accused Akinsola of “weaponising” his office, asserting that his actions have been aimed at benefiting private investors at the expense of the farming community.
In their statement, the farmers described Akinsola’s actions as an abuse of office, and they accused Sotinrin of using his federal position for private gain at the expense of smallholder farmers.
The farmers said if the levy and dues from them are going to government purse accordingly, Wemimo should be cautioned and show the way out, saying era of one man conniving with others to divert government money into private pocket is over.