WARRAKE (OWAN EAST) – The people of Warrake community in Owan East Local Government Area, Edo state have expressed their gratitude to the state government over the revocation of the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of the disputed Agbede/Warrake farms.
The message of gratitude is contained in a statement signed by a former executive chairman of the local government council and a former House of Assembly aspirant under the platform of All Progressive Congress, Hon. Abdulraham Momoh.
The statement made available to newsmen on Thursday in Benin City, said, “we as a people remain grateful over the magnanimity of the Comrade Governor, Adams Oshiomohole’s decision to revoke the C of O of the ownership of the Agbede/Warrake farms which has over the years robbed our people of their daily income as farmers.
“We salute this boldness and courage on the part of the governor and he has rekindled the hope and better living conditions of our people who depend on the farmlands as farmers for a living,’’ Momoh said.
It is recalled that Oshiomhole on February 3, 2015 fulfilled his campaign promise to revoke the C of O when he said government had set up committees to look into the causes of the disputed land issues in various communities across the state.
“I will sign the revocation of the land ownership transaction of the Agbede and Warrake farms on Monday,’’ he had said at the APC rally at Agbede on February 1.
The over 6,000 hectares of farmland meant to create jobs for youths of the communities as well as boost food production in the country from the agrarian communities had since become a subject of ownership conflict between the host communities and a company, the Delt-R Farms.
The military administration of Col. John Inieger sold the disputed farm lands to the company for about N3 million to improve agriculture produce from the areas.
But the communities are aggrieved that rather than put the land to proper use, the company had abandoned the farmlands and is planning to resell it to another investor.