••• Exonerates BoA Boss, Sotinrin
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Tuesday blamed protesting farmers in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area, accusing them of encroaching on government land beyond the areas allocated to them for agricultural use.
The governor who was reacting through his Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, clarified that it was the farmers who violated the terms of the land agreement, not the private firm involved.
The farmers had earlier staged a protest over what they described as the forceful takeover of their farms at the Oluwa Forest Reserve (OA3A) by a private company, SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited, allegedly in collaboration with the state government. The protesters blocked the Lagos/Ore Expressway, alleging that their plantations were being destroyed.
However, in a statement titled “Setting the Record Straight on Cocoa Farmers’ Protest and Role of Government Officials,” the government said there was a misrepresentation of facts regarding the ownership and allocation of the land in question.
According to Adeniyan, the state government remains committed to the welfare of genuine farmers, and to the legal and responsible use of declassified degraded forest reserves for agricultural purposes.
He said many of the protesting farmers had breached existing agreements by exceeding the designated land boundaries.
“Some farmers have encroached into restricted forest zones without authorization, while others have failed to comply with agreed land-use terms—actions that pose serious environmental and security concerns,” the statement read.
Adeniyan also dismissed claims that the government was acting in defiance of court injunctions, insisting that all actions taken by the government and associated agencies, both public and private, were in accordance with the law, backed by legal counsel, verified surveys, and official notifications.
Defending the role of government officials, Adeniyan said Akinsola, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Agribusiness, is responsible for overseeing agribusiness and managing relationships with commercial agricultural investors operating under government concessions. He described allegations of land grabbing as false and politically motivated.
He also clarified that Mr. Ayo Sotinrin, Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture—a federal institution—was not using any private firm to seize farmlands, describing such claims as “malicious, unfounded, and a clear attempt at character assassination.”
Regarding SAO Agro-Allied Services, Adeniyan explained that the company has been operating under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement since 2021, with its acquisition and development of agro-industrial zones fully approved and supervised by the state government.
He added that Governor Aiyedatiwa had never, at any point, pledged to support illegal occupants of government land or forest reserves.
“This administration remains committed to legal, inclusive, and forward-looking agricultural development,” the statement said.
“An investigation is currently underway to identify genuine farmers with verifiable claims, separate from speculators and unlawful occupants.”
Adeniyan emphasized that the Governor is open to dialogue with all stakeholders but would not compromise the rule of law in protecting livelihoods.
He urged the media and the public to seek proper clarification before publishing “one-sided or misleading” reports, reiterating the administration’s commitment to transparency, environmental sustainability, and agricultural growth as a pillar of the state’s economy.
THE STATEMENT
The attention of the Ondo State Government has been drawn to reports of protests by some cocoa farmers over farm settlements in the state.
The said reports contain a number of misleading claims, emotional distortions, and deliberate misrepresentations aimed at discrediting the government’s ongoing efforts to reform and sanitise land use practices within government reserve areas across the state.
The Ondo State Government reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the welfare of genuine farmers and the responsible, equitable, and legal use of only declassified degraded forest reserves for agricultural purposes. It is, however, necessary to clarify and correct the public narrative currently being circulated:
- Illegal Occupation and Breach of Agreement:
Many of the aggrieved farmers currently occupying parts of the Oluwa Forest Reserve (OA3A) have breached existing agreements and exceeded designated land allocation parameters. Some have encroached into restricted forest zones without authorisation, while others have failed to comply with the agreed land use terms, posing serious environmental and security concerns. - Due Process and Court Orders:
Contrary to the claims of contempt for court injunctions, the Ondo State Government and all related agencies; public and private, have acted strictly within the framework of the law.
Where litigations are ongoing, every step taken has been guided by legal counsel, verified surveys, and documented notifications. No action has been taken arbitrarily.
- On Hon. Rotimi Wemimo Akinsola:
Hon. Akinsola, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Agribusiness, is a government appointee overseeing agribusiness in the state.
His role involves the strategic management of large-scale commercial agriculture investors granted concessions to develop extensive hectares of land, an effort that is expected to create thousands of jobs and boost the state’s revenue. Claims suggesting that he is involved in land grabbing are not only false but politically driven and completely at variance with the facts.
- Clarification on Mr. Ayo Sotinrin and SAO Agro-Allied Services:
It is equally important to clarify that Mr. Ayo Sotinrin is the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, a federal government institution.
Allegations implying that he is using a private firm to seize farmlands are malicious, unfounded, and a clear attempt at character assassination.
SAO Agro-Allied Services, on its part, has been operating under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement approved by the state since 2021.
The firm’s acquisition and development of agro-industrial zones have followed due process and are under full government oversight. None of its activities involves the unlawful takeover of legally secured farms.
- Government’s Position and the Way Forward:
Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa wishes to state emphatically that at no time, whether during electioneering or otherwise, did he make any promise to support illegal occupants of government land or forest reserves.
His administration remains committed to legal, inclusive, and forward-looking agricultural development. An investigation is ongoing to identify genuine farmers with verifiable claims, separate from speculators and unlawful occupants.
The Governor remains open to dialogue with all stakeholders and is determined to protect livelihoods without compromising the rule of law.
The Ondo State Government therefore calls on members of the public, particularly the media, to seek proper clarification before publishing one-sided or misleading reports.
This administration remains committed to transparency, environmental sustainability, and the growth of agriculture as the backbone of the state’s economy.
