Hundreds of farmers in Aduhanhan community, Uhunmwonde Local Government Area of Edo State, have appealed to Governor Monday Okpebholo to intervene over fears that their farmlands may be taken over for a palm oil project, a move they say could worsen food insecurity and destroy their livelihoods.
The farmers, numbering over 400 and drawn from more than 10 neighbouring communities, staged a peaceful protest on Wednesday under the banner of the Aduhanhan Taungya Farmers Association.
They cultivate pineapple, cassava, yam and maize on the land, which they say has been their source of survival for decades.
Leading the protest, Edo State Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Bako Dogwo, said the land has been farmed continuously by the community for more than 60 years, having been inherited from their forefathers.
He explained that when the forest reserve was allocated to the community, the farmers were directed to grow only food crops and not cash crops, a condition they claim to have strictly followed.
Dogwo warned that removing the farmers from the land would amount to injustice and land grabbing, especially as they have been paying revenue to the state government over the years.
He argued that the action would contradict government policies aimed at boosting agriculture and tackling hunger.
He noted that Edo State plays a critical role in Nigeria’s pineapple output, adding that the country ranks among the leading producers of the crop in Africa largely because of production from the state. According to him, Aduhanhan community is one of the major contributors, second only to Ekpoma axis in Esan West Local Government Area.
The farmers said the alleged plan to hand over the land to a palm oil investor raises serious concerns, particularly given the presence of established palm oil plantations and companies already operating in the state.
They questioned why food producing farmers should be displaced for another cash crop, warning that such a decision could reduce food availability and push youths into hardship.
Dogwo appealed directly to Governor Okpebholo, describing him as farmer friendly and recalling the significant budgetary allocation made to agriculture under his leadership.
He urged the governor to step in and stop any action that could force the farmers off the land they depend on for daily sustenance.
Also speaking, the most senior member of the community, Pa Iro Omorodion, said he was among the early beneficiaries when the government originally allowed the community to farm the forest reserve.
He recalled that farmers were given seedlings to plant young forest trees alongside their food crops to ensure compliance with the original agreement.
The head of the community stressed that the farmers have adhered to all directives over the years and pleaded with the state government to allow them to remain on the land, which he described as their only means of livelihood.
Other leaders of the Aduhanhan Taungya Farmers Association, including its chairman, Monday Richardson Amakon, secretary Monday Owen Egbon and members Uyi Asemota and Mrs Juliet Osadolor, also appealed for government intervention.
They expressed concern over claims that the alternative land allegedly being proposed for them is too small to support hundreds of farmers.
The farmers warned that losing access to the land would leave many families without income, disrupt food production and negatively affect the state’s standing as a leading producer of pineapple and other staple crops.
They urged the government to prioritise food security and protect small scale farmers who, according to them, are helping to feed the state and the nation.
