OKOMU – Okomu Registered Contractors/Suppliers and Leaders of neighbouring Communities have unanimously condemned the recent killings and wanton destruction of property in Okomu farms in Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State.
Also, leaders of Okomu neighbouring communities have recounted several projects successfully executed by Okomu Oil Palm Plc in their various communities.
They called on the state and Federal Government, as well as relevant security agencies to fish out and make the perpetrators face justice.
The Registered Contractors/Suppliers and Leaders of neighbouring Communities stated these during a meeting in Okomu Oil Palm Plc, yesterday.
Describing the crisis as real wickedness and acts of criminality, one of the registered contractors, Mr. Mike Akwa stated that since Okomu Oil Palm Plc, had lived up to its corporate-social responsibilities to neighbouring communities, the recent incident was uncalled for.
He wondered why some few disgruntled elements who do not enjoy the support of their communities would come up with spurious demands aimed at formenting trouble in Okomu.
Mr. Akwa disclosed that Okomu Oil Palm Plc spends several millions of Naira annually to maintain its peaceful coexistence with neighbouring communities.
He however called on the government to arrest the unfortunate incidence as no one would benefit if Okomu Oil Palm Plc, being a foremost company in agricultural sector in Nigeria goes down.
In their various comments, leaders of neigbhouring communities, Comrade Karaki Amabolor,Ufunama and Mathins Polo of Inikorogha Communities condemned the killings and burning of 200 hectares of rubber and Palm plantation.
They appealed to the perpetrators to adopt a peaceful approach of agitation rather than taking the lives of innocent persons who have chosen legitimate means of livelihood.
Also in separate letters expressing their condemnation and sympathy to the Staff, Management and Managing Director of Okomu Oil Palm Plc, Dr.
Graham Heffer, the community leaders pledged their support to the oil-palm firm.
Parts of the letters read, “as a community, we cannot contemplate to turn round and bite the finger that is feeding us.
“We condemn the killings and wonton destructions of Okomu Oil Palm Plc property by criminal elements…”
The communities however dissociated themselves from the crisis while enjoining security agencies to intervene.
In an open letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, the Leaders of Neighbouring Communities of Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc had enumerated some Corporate Social Responsibility projects successful executed by the firm in their communities to include, yearly youth empowerment program and bursary to deserving indigenes from all the neighbouring communities; buildings of classrooms blocks