Osun Farmers’ Day Show Of Shame:  Farmers Boo Govt Officials At Freedom Park

HAZEEZ – OLANIRAN OLAKUNLE OLAMIDE

Governor Oyetola speaking to the farmers at the 2019 Osun Farmers’ Filed Day in Osogbo on Wednesday

The 2019 Osun Farmers’ Field Day, which expected to be a day of celebration for farmers in Osun State and a turning point for betterment of agriculture in the state, unfortunately turned out to be a day when the peasant farmers looked straight with anger to the faces of some government officials to register their grievances about the shoddy treatment they are receiving from some top officials of the government in the state.

The event, which was held at the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, the state capital, was supposed to be an-all farmers affair to flag of the new season, but informed sources disclosed to P.M. EXPRESS reporter who was at the event that some top government officials had hijacked the organisation of the ceremony without the direct knowledge of the Governor, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola.

Though the mainstream media in Osun State failed to report the incident, P.M. EXPRESS reports that fiasco started at the Freedom Park when the programme of the event that supposed to be for farmers turned out to be political rally. Majority of the farmers on sighting the pamphlets of the programmed realised that no item in the outlined events of the day recognised the leadership of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Osun State chapter under the headship of Alhaji Sulaiman Araokanmi. The farmers were so angry in particular the pictures in the printed programme have the Governor, Deputy Governor, Secretary to the State Government and the Chief of Staff to the Governor without having their President.

The Sonolika Tractor brought to the event by AFAN in Osun State

The farmers protested and decided that they would work out of the ceremony that has about 20,000 of members of AFAN in attendance.

What really disturbed and angered the farmers the more was the alleged manipulation of the Governor to commission a tractor of a company owned by one of the cronies of a top government official instead of the tractor the framers have brought for the Governor to commission and buy for them.

One of the farmers, who confided in P.M. EXPRESS because he was not authorised to speak on the matter revealed that “we felt so sorry for the Governor because he was not in the known of what happened at the Freedom Park today (Wednesday). The Farmers’ Day is our programme, I don’t see the reason we won’t be recognised officially. You can see the programme they printed without our President’s picture on it. It was an insult.

When Farmers’ Day turned rowdy in Osogbo on Wednesday at Freedom Park

“I want to believe that it was the handwork of the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr. Charles Akinola who had shown not to be comfortable with our President because he (the president) won’t tolerate nonsense. We voted for Alhaji Araokanmi and I don’t see any reason a Dr. Charles will want to dictate to us.

“At the appropriate time, we will expose him on the business he packaged on the tractor one Niji Tractors Limited brought to our event. Their planned was to show Niji’s tractor for the Governor to commission, not knowing to them we have own tractor from Sonalika in Kaduna. We know who is fronting for Niji Tractor,” the source said.

P.M. EXPRESS observed that AFAN members were accusing the Chief of Staff of behind the Niji Tractor that brought the same brand of tractor that AFAN brought to the event. Trouble started when Dr. Akinola was taking the Governor to where Niji’s tractor was packed; the farmers started booing the governor and his Chief of Staff. Sensing the charged atmosphere, the Governor made a u-turn and said he was only interested in the tractor brought by the AFAN members.

“You can see the reason we were shouting and raining curses on these government officials. We understand that this one day event was put together with the sum of N25 million, Do you think this can stand the test of time. Can’t you see that the Governor himself was not happy with what happened today?” the source queried.

It took intervention of the AFAN President, Alhaji Araokanmi, the Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Timothy Owoeye, former Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Richard Adedoyin and the Secretary of All Progressive Congress (APC), Osun State chapter, Mr Rasaq   Salisile and other eminent dignitaries before situation could be brought under control.

Meanwhile, P.M. EXPRESS reliably gathered that Niji Tractors Limited of 10, Kufisile Street, Niji Lukas Bus Stop, Isheri-Idimu, Lagos had its distributorship contract with India-based International Tractors Limited terminated since 5 April, 2018. The letter signed by the president of the New Delhi company, Gaurav Saxena, alleged that the contract was terminated for non performance from Niji Tractors in the two years of association.

“Niji Tractors Limited has no association with the manufacturer of Sonalika Tractor it brought for display to the public here in Osogbo. The government officials planned to give the contract to Niji to supply a large number of these tractors to the state government. This is ridiculous.

“We recently introduced the authentic distributor of the same Sonalikat Tractors, Whitfield Ventures Limited, which is based in Kaduna, to this same government. I think they bypassed us and dumped our proposal with the intention of giving same to Niji Tractors Limited because it is their cronies. You can see how they are running Osun State. I was telling my colleagues that I believe the Governor is not in the known of this. Oyetola that I know won’t condone this. He is a friend of the farmers and he meant well for us,” the source concluded.

Effort to speak with some of the top government officials present at the occasion proved abortive as they hurriedly left with the convoy of the Governor.

PM. EXPRESS reports that Governor Oyetola had in his speech told the farmers that  “Our vision is to make agriculture profitable and ensure food security as part of our eight-point agenda designed to wholly transform the agriculture sector in this state.

“We have the will as an administration and your turnout today is proof that you are ready to partner with us to transform our dream of food sufficiency, poverty eradication and job creation into reality.

“Our farmers are allies in the march towards food sufficiency, poverty eradication and job creation.

“Agriculture remains the mainstay of the economy of this state and it serves as the backbone of our economy as the sector has vast potential for critical infrastructural development that are reminiscent of the glorious days of Cocoa economy in the old western region.

“Osun farmers’ day is an opportunity for farmers to come together, discuss their challenges and be introduced to new practices and varieties of agricultural technology.

“The practice of agriculture has always thrived with government providing the necessary enabling environment for practitioners.

“Our strength include huge fertile land all over the state, good rural roads, urban road networks, relative rainfall pattern and above all the relative peaceful coexistence between the herders and farmers.

“In line with my campaign promises, government has embarked on a number of projects to enhance the economic base of farmers and the state.

“Under the partnership with the international Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the state government has provided 205.5 hectares of land in Ago-Owu for the purpose of conducting researches and setting up demonstration farms for best farming practices.”