Indigenes of Ogbomoso, under the aegis of Egbe Omo Ogbomoso Parapo, have appealed to Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to halt an alleged plan to allocate the Ogbomoso Farm Settlement to private developers.
The group, in a petition signed by its Chairman, Prince Aderemi Olude, and Secretary, Johnson Adekunle, urged the state government to preserve and revitalise the settlement rather than convert the land for property development.
The petition was also forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Federal Ministry of Lands and Urban Development, Inspector-General of Police, Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Police Area Commander in Ogbomoso and the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Afolabi Olaoye.
The indigenes said the farm settlement, established in the early 1960s, had provided livelihoods for generations of residents and represented an important legacy of the former Western Region.
They argued that allocating the land to investors would undermine the original purpose of the settlement and destroy what they described as a shared heritage of Ogbomoso.
According to the group, reports of the proposed allocation had gained credibility following alleged confirmation from some settlers and reports of surveyors from the state government entering the area.
The association said many of the settlers had occupied and cultivated the land for more than six decades and were opposed to any move that could displace them.
It described the settlement as a “commonwealth” and a major source of livelihood for the people, urging the governor to instead invest in its rehabilitation and development.
The group maintained that the alleged plan was unacceptable to the people of Ogbomoso and called on the state government to reconsider the proposal in the interest of the community and preservation of the settlement’s agricultural purpose.
The Ogbomoso indigenes said they remained committed to protecting what they described as the legacy of former Western Region premiers, Obafemi Awolowo and Samuel Ladoke Akintola.
