The Aheri Kingdom in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State has said it welcomes Olokola Free Trade Zone (OKFTZ) project.
It rejected what it described as an unauthorised land-grabbing scheme allegedly linked to a proposed ‘Dangote Industrial City’ along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway corridor.
The kingdom’s position was contained in a communiqué issued after a meeting convened by the Maporure of Aheri, Oba Ilesanmi Raphael Ikuemonisan-Mafo, on September 5 at Zion-Pepe in Ilaje Local Government, with representatives of Ondo State Government and Dangote Industries Limited.
According to the communiqué, the OKFTZ, comprising a deep seaport, an oil refinery and other projects, was initiated in 2007 to cover 10,000 hectares spanning the coastal boundary of Ondo and Ogun states, with each state expected to release 5,000 hectares during the administration of Dr Olusegun Agagu.
The project stalled under Agagu’s successor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, and Aliko Dangote, who had briefly shown interest, subsequently relocated his refinery project to Lekki, Lagos State, after the two states failed to reach agreement on land acquisition.
The kingdom said it welcomed the return of Dangote and other investors to the OKFTZ under the administration of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, but faulted the exclusion of host community representatives from the Technical Committee set up by the state government to liaise with Dangote and other private firms on the project, describing the omission as one that would deepen the communication gap between stakeholders.
The community alleged that its land and forests were being invaded by persons purportedly carrying out enumeration, data collection and environmental impact assessments for undisclosed projects, without any documented government acquisition specifying location or dimensions.
Citing figures it attributed to Dangote’s own publications, the community said a planned ‘Dangote Industrial City’ of about 29,250 hectares, targeting land along the coastal highway, was in addition to the OKFTZ’s 10,000 hectares – a combined size it said dwarfed other free trade zones nationwide, including the 3,000-hectare Lekki Free Trade Zone, the 1,107-hectare Eko Atlantic, the 1,000-hectare Alaro City Free Zone, the 252-hectare Snake Island Integrated Free Zone, the 140-hectare Indorama Free Zone in Rivers State, and the 122.14-hectare Ibom Science and Technology Free Zone in Akwa Ibom State.
The community said Aheri Kingdom, as the only available land for meaningful development north of the Atlantic shoreline for the Ilaje people, would resist any attempt to displace residents from their ancestral homes or deny them the benefits of development opened up by the coastal highway, which it said now placed the community less than 30 minutes from Lagos by road.
While endorsing investment strictly within the OKFTZ along the Atlantic corridor, the community rejected any project extending into the hinterland around the Alape Lagoon and the highway corridor, warning against becoming tenants on their own ancestral land.
It vowed not to be added to a list of Nigerian communities whose land, acquired for failed government-private projects, were never returned to their original owners.
The statement warned that any strategy to engage persons without legitimate ancestral land titles to sow division would be resisted by the people of Aheri and others advocating indigenous land rights.
The communiqué was signed by Ayeoba Ige Asemudara Esq, Secretary of the Aheri Development Council.
Those who attended the meeting included Oba Ilesanmi Raphael Ikuemonisan-Mafo, Maporure of Aheriland, Oba Williams Kalejaiye, Monehin of Obinehin, High Chief Oronla, representative of the Olikan of Etikan, Prince Ajose Kudehinbu, former Head of Service, Ondo State; Chief Sola Ebiseni, former Commissioner for Environment, Ondo State, and Secretary-General, Afenifere; and Prince John Ola Mafo, former Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Ondo State.
Others were High Chief Rotimi Olatuga, Gbogunron of Aheriland; High Chief Thomas Adeoye Oyetola, Oliha of Aheriland; Mr Alex Olatuga, member, Aheri Development Council; Mr Folagbade Kudehinbu; Mr Adeolu Olatuga, Youth Leader, Aheri Kingdom; Mr Adejumo Akinbola, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands, Ondo State; Mr Abdulkarim Muhammed Bello, General Manager, Dangote Industries Limited; Mr Fred Akinloye Boluwaji, CEO, Alibi and Partners (Estate Valuers); Mr Usman Kareem, member of the Dangote/Alibi team and Mr Ahmed Onigbogi, valuer, Dangote/Alibi team.