GOING ... GOING ... GOING: Makinde allegedly moves to convert Ogbomoso farm settlement (Agric) to housing estate

GOING … GOING … GOING: Makinde allegedly moves to convert Ogbomoso farm settlement (Agric) to housing estate

Khalid ABRAHAM

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A serious crisis is brewing in Ogbomoso as the Oyo state government under Engr Seyi Makinde has concluded plans to turn the Farm Settlement otherwise known as “Agric” into a housing estate.

According to credible information reaching ogbomosoinsightonline.com, the about 2, 000 acre-land is about to be allocated to various interests for personal use.

“It is true,” a farmer in the settlement told Ogbomoso Insight on Saturday. “That is what is afoot. A certain interest in Ogbomoso (whom l won’t mention) is allocated 350 acres of the land. Of the remaining 1, 602 acres, 1, 402 are to be taken by the government for the housing estate while only 200 acres are left for the scheme.

“Meanwhile, the existing residential buildings are part of the 200 hundred acres left to farm owners occupying the scheme. The public should be informed that we bought the residential buildings already. Our fathers had already paid for them.”

Another commentator, Amusa Kehinde, said the proposal amounts to land grabbing of not only a cherished heritage but of a farm land which should rather be resuscitated with redesigning to turn Oyo state into a real agric hub.

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Kehinde warned that the occupiers of the farm would mobilise Ogbomoso people to resist the proposal describing it as anti-people.

“I was shocked when l heard of the plan. It is a wicked proposal. It amounts to land grabbing of the highest order. How can you dispose of such a legacy project? It is anti-people.

“What should be done is to find means of breathing life into it. My parents raised livestock in the scheme and cultivated the land to send me and my siblings to schools, so are other families. How can any government then contemplate taking it over for personal use while inducing vision-less people to achieve the wicked plan.

“We cannot accept that, never! What happens to restructuring and rebuilding of the place into a centre for modern farming? Government should rather redevelop the place to make Oyo state a real agric hub towards making it a food basket or the real food basket of the nation.

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“If they persist we will mobilise the people of Ogbomoso for fierce resistance. How can some individuals appropriate our commonwealth? What housing estate are they contemplating? Did they seek the input of the people of Ogbomoso?

“Were the people consulted? Are we suffering shortage of land to develop housing schemes? Because they are in power today does not mean they can do and undo. It is a good legacy, how can they think of abrogating it?”

A public affairs analyst Mr. Adepegba Ajeigbe has also condemned the move positing the centre should rather be re-energized and put into farm-related uses in tune with today’s demand.

“It is condemnable in all ramifications. That place should not be converted into any purpose outside of farm production and allied industries. It is a legacy of the Chief Obafemi Awolowo regime and Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola birthed with good intentions. How can you now sell the land or dole it out to your cronies to bolster their wealth?

“The present government has sold some legacy projects like that despite people raising eyebrows. Where is Agodi Garden today? Where is Trans Amusement Park? Why can’t they re-energize the place? That place should not be used for anything outside farming.”

He stressed that Ogbomoso has become a centre of cashew nut production but lack processing centres. He therefore noted that part of such a place should be turned into a processing centre of the cashew nut to make the zone derive full benefit of the production instead of selling raw, for turnover.

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“Ogbomoso has developed into a cashew hub; when they should be thinking of turning part of agric into cashew nut processing centres to increase revenue they are concluding plans to sell to private developers. It is unacceptable.”

The farm settlement scheme

The farm settlement scheme was established by the government of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in 1956 to encourage young school leavers especially to take to farming. The pioneers were trained in modern farm techniques and allocated lands for farming, livestock and crop productions. They were given farm input as well and other incentives. The place came alive and has supported and still supporting many families.

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