“For development to get to any place, it will be accompanied with some pains. It’s just like a woman who is giving birth to a baby, she will have to endure pain after which the pain will be overshadowed by the joy of the birth of a new baby.”- Ekiti State Governor OyebanjiARISE News | 8 December 2024 Governor Oyebanji distributes N146 Million compensation cheques to 46 landowners
by Faridah Abdulkadiri
Governor Oyebanji has distributed N146 million in compensation cheques to 46 landowners, supporting large-scale agricultural development in Ekiti State.
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, on Saturday distributed cheques totalling N146 million to 46 landowners whose properties were acquired for a commercial agriculture project.
The initiative, spanning 4,000 hectares, is part of the “Bring Back the Youth in Agriculture” scheme, a partnership between the state government and YSJ Farms Limited.
The project aims to engage young farmers, enhance agribusiness, and drive economic development in the region.
Speaking during the event, Governor Oyebanji expressed satisfaction with the project’s progress despite initial delays caused by land acquisition challenges.
“What we are doing here today is another promise we have kept in ensuring that compensation is paid to our citizens whose land were acquired for commercial agricultural purposes,” he stated.
The Governor explained that the compensation process had been delayed to allow for the enumeration of economic trees affected by the acquisition. He assured landowners that a second round of enumeration would soon begin, with additional compensation payments planned.
“We are paying them the compensation for the economic trees lost to the acquisition process and for them to use the money to get another land for the continuation of their farming so that they will not be denied of their means of livelihood,” he added.
At the event, Oyebanji inaugurated tractors and processing equipment for use by the young farmers and attended the dry-season harvest by participants in the programme. He highlighted the project’s potential to transform the area into a hub for tractor training, assembly, and repair, with experts on hand to train local youth.
“Before we remove the remaining economic trees, we will pay compensation to the owners and the presence of large-scale commercial farming will bring many positive things. Factories, schools and hospitals will spring up here while we can also have tractor assembling and engineering hub,” he explained.
Oyebanji also noted the scheme’s broader benefits, including improved infrastructure, job creation, and enhanced security. He said,
“For development to get to any place, it will be accompanied with some pains. It’s just like a woman who is giving birth to a baby, she will have to endure pain after which the pain will be overshadowed by the joy of the birth of a new baby.”
The Governor commended the Oke Ako community, led by Regent Princess Tinuade Ogunbiyi, for their cooperation with his administration. He assured residents that the project would bring development, including road rehabilitation, healthcare facilities, and cottage industries.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Ebenezer Boluwade, lauded the Governor for his commitment to food security and the growth of agriculture in the state. He described Oyebanji’s presence at the event as a testament to his dedication.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Lands, Survey and e-GIS, Prof. James Olaleye, praised the landowners for their sacrifices, emphasising that their contributions would help turn Ekiti State into a leading agricultural centre in Nigeria. He also pointed out that the Bureau of Lands was aligning land administration practices with the government’s vision for economic growth and food security.
Regent Princess Ogunbiyi expressed gratitude to Governor Oyebanji for bringing the project to the community, pledging her people’s unwavering support for its success.
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Ekiti State Government | 8 December 2024
Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, on Saturday handed out cheques to the tune of N146 million as compensation to 46 indigenes of Oke Ako Ekiti whose land were acquired for commercial agriculture.
A total 4,000 hectares of land was allocated to young farmers in the “Bring Back the Youth in Agriculture” scheme done in partnership with an investor, YSJ Farm in Oke Ako. The project is aimed at boosting agribusiness, engage youths in commercial agriculture and open up the community and its environs for wealth creation.
Also, different range of tractors and processing equipment were inaugurated by the Governor for use by the young farmers.
The event coincided with the dry season harvest by the participants in the “Bring Back Youths in Agriculture” programme of the state government in partnership with YSJ Farms Limited.
Speaking shortly before distributing the cheques, Governor Oyebanji said he was satisfied with the takeoff of the agribusiness project despite the initial delay witnessed in a bid to resolve some issues around land acquisition.
He explained that the payment of the compensation was delayed to allow for the conclusion of enumeration of economic trees that were affected by the acquisition noting that the second round of the enumeration exercise would soon commence to pay compensation to more landowners.”
While noting that Oke Ako is an integral part of the Ekiti State Special Agriculture Processing, the Governor stressed that the centre is a great economic asset capable of becoming a hub for training of tractor drivers, assembling and repairs of tractors with expatriates on ground to train the youths.
The Governor lauded the Oke Ako community led by the Regent, Princess Tinuade Ogunbiyi for their cooperation with his administration, said commercial agricultural activities would attract rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads, provision of health facilities and establishment of cottage industries capable of turning around the economy of the axis.
The Governor charged the people of the area to support YSJ Farms Limited led by Mrs. Yemisi Joluwe, who is partnering with the state government on the agriculture development project.
He explained that his administration would always provide the enabling environment for investment opportunities,empowerment of the youths and development of the grassroots economy to thrive in every part of the state.
The Governor also noted that kidnapping and other criminal activities have reduced remarkably in the area as most of the forests that served as hideouts have been cultivated under the agribusiness scheme involving the youths.
“What we are doing here today is another promise we have kept in ensuring that compensation is paid to our citizens whose land were acquired for commercial agricultural purposes.
“We are paying them the compensation for the economic trees lost to the acquisition process and for them to use the money to get another land for the continuation of their farming so that they will not be denied of their means of livelihood.
“For development to get to any place, it will be accompanied with some pains. It’s just like a woman who is giving birth to a baby, she will have to endure pain after which the pain will be overshadowed by the joy of the birth of a new baby.
“Before we remove the remaining economic trees, we will pay compensation to the owners and the presence of large scale commercial farming will bring many positive things. Factories, schools and hospitals will spring up here while we can also have tractor assembling and engineering hub.”
Speaking earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Ebenezer Boluwade, said the commitment of the Governor made the payment of compensation possible.
He added that the personal appearance of the Governor bore eloquent testimony to his commitment to the growth of agriculture and ensuring food security in the state.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Lands, Survey and e-GIS, Prof. James Olaleye, said the sacrifices of the landowners would go a long way in turning Ekiti into a leading agricultural centre in Nigeria.
He pointed out that the Bureau of Lands under his watch has been working tirelessly to ensure that land administration practices align with the vision of economic growth and food security.
The Regent of Oke Ako, Princess Ogunbiyi, hailed the Governor for attracting the investor to the community pledging the unflinching support of her people to the smooth operations of the farms.
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Business Day | 3 October 2024
Ekiti returns to Awolowo’s farm settlement era to boost agric productivity
Prompted by the mission to improve foods and agricultural productivity in order to ensure food security, Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State has said his Administration will return the State to the farm settlement era experienced in the old Western Region under the leadership of the late Premier, Obafemi Awolowo.
The governor, who utilised the Independence Anniversary public holiday to undertake a visit to young farmers in three cluster areas in the State stated this during his visit to Ikere Farm Settlement. He also said construction work on ultra-modern dormitories at the farm settlements would commence within the next three weeks.
BusinessDay reports that about 930 youths are involved in the youth agriculture scheme known as “Bring Back Youth into Agriculture” being undertaken by the Ekiti State Government in collaboration with a private entity YSJ Farms.
Under the agricultural scheme, the Government provides land to the young farmers, assists them with land clearing and seedlings as well as agric extension services, among others. It also has an arrangement to buy their products for storage purposes.
The governor said he was determined to invest hugely in agriculture as a form of empowerment for the youths to ensure food security and to drive industrialization. He stressed that revamping the old farm settlement strategy of the late Awolowo was the only way to ensure the young farmers stay on the farms and maximise Government’s support for the scheme.
Governor Oyebanji also made stopovers at some farms and took time to personally interact with farmers and asked of their needs, drawing the attention of Ebenezer Boluwade, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, to a prompt action needed to achieve improved agricultural productivity.
The governor noted that proposed dormitories for the young farmers would have facilities like sitting rooms, kitchens, security posts, sick bays, among others as part of State’s efforts to attract more young farmers into agribusiness and turn the State into a huge agriculture hub.
The three clusters visited by the governor and some officials included those in Eporo-Emure, Ikere and Aramoko-Erio where he monitored the young farmers who are participating in one of the agricultural initiatives of his administration “Bring Back the Youth in Agriculture.
Oyebanji also assured of the readiness of his administration to expedite action on other requests of the young farmers which include motorable roads, security at the locations and provision of vehicles and motorcycles to aid mobility of the participants.
Oyebanji who had earlier paid visits to Oke Ako, Iyemero and Igede Farm Settlements over the weekend, said it was unacceptable for the people of the State to be complaining of hunger and be queuing up for palliative materials when the State is blessed with arable land, stressing that a paradigm shift had just begun with his administration’s investment in agriculture.
He described agriculture as a lucrative business, noting that farmers are among the richest set of people in developed economies pointing out that the participating youths in particular and the state in general would reap bountiful harvest in agribusiness in the long run.
The governor assured the youths of security in all the clusters visited, adding that a massive security cordon has been woven around the locations which he said would be consolidated upon to eliminate all forms of criminality in the area.
He commended the Chief Executive Officer of YSJ Farms, Yemisi Joluwe, for partnering with his administration to take agriculture to a higher pedestal.
