Destruction Of My Mango Farm In Benue Painful
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has once again lamented the burning of his 17,000 mango farm in Howe village, Benue State.
Naija News recalls that the 140-hectare mango farm was burnt by arsonists suspected to be the locals on January 31, 2022, over non-payment of compensation.
Speaking on Friday during a meeting with a delegation from Gwer Local Government at his residence in Abeokuta, the former president said the burning of his farm was really painful but has motivated him to invest in the state.
The delegation was led by the Chairman of the Gwer East Traditional Council, Dr Dominic Akpe with the House of Assembly lawmaker representing Gwer East Constituriency, Geoffrey Agbatse, Chairman Gwer East Local Government, Ortserga Emmanuel, among others present at the meeting.
Obasanjo in a statement signed by his spokesman, Kehinde Akinyemi, promised to increase the workforce on the farm from 150 to over 1,000 in order to provide more jobs for unemployed youths in the community.
The former president described those who burnt his farm as miscreants, adding that the attack was contrary to the true reflection of the people of Benue State.
Obasanjo said the arsonists had only delayed the vision he had for the project, adding that what had happened was not the best for the state and the community.
He said, “You have said it yourself that the farm employed about 150 workers before it was burnt. Our plan was for the project to provide at least 1,000 persons directly, both on the farm and when the processing factory takes off.
“What has happened was not a loss to we investors alone but to the 150 that were working on the farm before it was burnt and the people that we intend to engage in the processing factory, that had been delayed now even with the level of unemployment in the country.
“The governor did everything to make the project a reality. What they have burnt, was a pilot project for what we have in mind if things work well.
“The governor, the Tor Tiv, the bishop and other notable leaders and stakeholders, had empathised with us; they had intervened and had assured us that justice would be served.
“What has happened is not in the character of the people of Benue and particularly, the community, where the farm is located.
“Let me assure you that we are not going to leave the area. We are looking at what we can do when the rain starts. The project will only be delayed but we shall improve on what we have on the ground.
“The government had promised us the possibility of giving us more land and this will give us the opportunity for bigger plantation.”
Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation, Akpe, had empathised with Obasanjo about the destruction of his mango farm, promising the former Nigerian leader that such an incident would not happen again.
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