The Ondo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of subjecting farmers in the Oluwa Forest Reserve (OA3A), located in Odigbo Local Government Area, to what it described as inhuman treatment and calculated economic disenfranchisement.
In a strongly worded statement released on Wednesday and signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Leye Igbabo, the opposition party alleged that the state government, after collecting various levies and dues from farmers, had moved to displace them from the farmlands earlier allocated to them.
The PDP said the farmers, who have invested heavily in cocoa plantations over the years, are now facing eviction to make way for private investors allegedly introduced by the government to cultivate palm oil on the same land.
“This action is not only wicked but also, essentially fraudulent in nature,” the statement read. “After paying annual rents, security dues, and identity card levies, the same government is now destroying their cocoa plantations to pave the way for another crop of similar economic value.”
The party questioned the rationale behind replacing already productive cocoa farms with palm oil plantations, saying both crops are of comparative commercial worth and should not be substituted at the expense of poor farmers who have toiled for years.
Describing the move as “self-serving,” the PDP argued that Ondo State has vast arable lands suitable for agricultural expansion without the need to uproot existing plantations and frustrate livelihoods.
“There is no justification for targeting the lands of these hardworking citizens when the state is abundantly blessed with unused fertile land,” the statement continued.
The opposition party warned that the government's actions could lead to dire socio-economic consequences including hunger, increased crime, violence, and untimely deaths. It urged Governor Aiyedatiwa to reconsider the decision and adopt a more humane approach to governance.
“The Constitution mandates the governor to provide for the welfare of citizens, not destroy their sources of livelihood,” the party said, calling on the government to allow the affected farmers to “breathe and enjoy the fruits of their many years of labour.
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