Ondo Agric and Agric-business

ADEFARATI SUES FOR PEACE IN MARIWO COMMUNITY.
Ondo state Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Adegboyega Adefarati has urged the people of Mariwo community in Ifedore local government area of the state to tow the path of peace, honour and justice in pursuit of their demands.
The Commissioner gave the advice in Akure during a meeting with the traditional council of Mariwo led by the Onimariwo, One Julius Aluko.
The meeting was at the instance of the Commissioner over the brewing tension between the indigenes of Mariwo and the settlers who presently occupy a larger proportion of Mariwo land under the farm settlement scheme.
The land was acquired during the Western Region Government and allocated to settlers who were mainly non-indigenes for farming purposes.
The Kabiyesi told the Commissioner that the land was voluntarily released to the Western Region Government without any compensation but based on the promise that companies and institutions would be established there.
He said the settlers are now claiming permanent ownership of the lands while some of them are either transferring or selling them to strangers with audacity.
Oba Julius Aluko lamented that indigenes of the community no longer have lands to farm or build their houses as every portion has been taken over by the settlers.
He appealed to government to return the lands to their original owners as no compensation was paid and no company or institution was established there as promised.
The Commissioner, while Responding to the issues raised by the Kabiyesi advised the community to avoid any form of confrontation with the settlers but present their requests to government with all sense of decorum and with facts and figures.
He reminded the traditional council that the land still belongs to government while the settlers still have the right of occupancy as long as the earlier agreement has not been altered.

Olaoluwa Meshack
Press Officer. 24/01/2017