Airport: Ekiti Farmers Decry Delay in Compensation, Threaten to Disrupt Project

Airport: Ekiti Farmers Decry Delay in Compensation, Threaten to Disrupt Project

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

In what appeared like a showdown with the Ekiti State Goverment, hundreds of farmers across five communities in the state have expressed anger over delay in payment of compensations for lands acquired to construct international agro-allied cargo airport by the government.

The protesting farmers demanded immediate payment of requisite compensations on the acquired farmlands, failing which they would prevent the contractor from proceeding with the project.

The farmers, mostly aged and widows, who came from Igbogun, Aso, Igbemo, Ijan and Orun, and Bolorunduro communities to the airport ground located along Ado-Ijan road, pleaded with Governor Kayode Fayemi to consider their plights and investment on their farm lands and pay them compensation as promised by the government.

Speaking for the aggrieved farmers, Mr. Osho Olorunfemi, lamented that the farmers from the five affected communities whose lands were acquired for the airport have lost huge amount of money in investment on the crops, calling on the governor to urgently address their grievances and pay them the compensation.

“It is government that said people should embrace farming but here we are now after so much investment on cocoa, plantain, cassava, palm tree and other crops, government came to destroyed them.

“Since March this year, we have been on this issue but nothing is forthcoming, all we hear is promise and assurance since them. We are tired of promise; we need our money to start life again because we are completely down at the moment. We are aware some persons have been paid but not all of us.

“We are giving the government a seven-day ultimatum for them to pay us and if they default we will be here on the airport site to do the needful and whatever happens after, we should not be blamed.”

Urging the farmers to be patient with government, the Coordinator of the Airport Project, Mr. Bunmi Awotiku, advised the affected farmers to embrace peace, assuring that government was attending to their demands and that they would soon be paid.

Awotikun who disclosed that about N500 million had been paid to some farmers across the communities in relation with their lands acquired for the airport project, pleaded that they show more understanding with the government.

“I am not against your protest but let me assure you on behalf of the governor that nobody with a farm there that we won’t pay. Your money will be paid, I can assure you.

“I will present your case to the governor for appropriate action. You should remain calm and embrace peace in demanding for your rights,” he said.

Related Articles