Agbeyewa Farms, a leading agricultural company has denied allegations of land encroachment and destruction of cash crops and economic trees by the people of Odo-Oro Ekiti in Ikole Council Area of Ekiti State.
The company, in a statement in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital by the Director of Corporate Communications and Community Engagement, Mr Dauda Lawal, explained that the farmlands were legally acquired.
Lawal, who described the allegations as complete falsehood targeted at tarnishing Agbeyewa’s reputation,said the company followed due diligence in the acquisition of the 5,001 hectares of land allocated to it by the Ekiti State government.
He said: “We followed all due process and due diligence in the acquisition of the 5,001 hectares of land in 2021. According to the document and mapping at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, we were made to know that the 5,001 hectares of land covered five communities, namely, Ipao, Odo-Oro, Itapaji, Esun and Oke Ako.
“We made all monetary payment directly to government accounts, and Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) was issued to us by the state government. The process of this land acquisition was made possible through the Ministry of Agriculture and Directorate of Land Bureau.”
Lawal emphasized that Agbeyewa Farms did not engage in any destruction of any economic trees as alleged in the Odo-Oro petition.
He said: “We have been operating with due regard to all interests on the land, and we never engaged in any destruction of economic trees nor engage in any under-the-table transactions or sign agreements outside official government channels as the Odo-Oro community alleged in their petitions.”
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“Also, we never signed any Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Odo-Oro or any community on compensation. Instead, such a claim of compensation should have been directed to the state government, which had earlier assured all communities that compensation would be paid to all the affected communities whose land was part of the land dealings.”
“The company has not worked outside this area covered in the CofO issued by the state government, so one would ask: On what basis is the allegations of encroachment by the Odo-Oro community?” Lawal stated.
He continued:”As a responsible corporate citizen, Agbeyewa Farms remains committed to promoting sustainable agriculture, job creation, economic growth, and community development engagement.”
“Our company has been operating in Ekiti State for over three years, cultivating and aggregating cassava, while providing employment opportunities for over 1,000 people directly and indirectly. We have plans to create thousands of more jobs and forge partnerships for shared prosperity and wealth creation. Our Corporate Social Responsibility effort is also top-notch, and evidence is available across the state to judge us.”
He urged Odo-Oro community to direct its concerns to the state government, which allocated the land to Agbeyewa Farm.