The Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Adeola Odedina, on Tuesday disclosed that the state government was working hard to resuscitate all its farm settlements as part of measures to boost food security.
Odedina stated this while responding to questions from the state lawmakers on activities of the ministry during plenary in Abeokuta.
The commissioner said that there were issues with all the farm settlements which needed the urgent attention of the state government.
He said that the government had noticed wide spread encroachment into most of the settlements, saying that people had taken over government’s property illegally.
Odedina stated that the state government through the Ministry of Agriculture was working to restore the farm settlements for the purpose for which they were created.
He said that the state government would make all farm settlements in the state centres for Agric projects, saying that it was necessary to make the settlements attractive with the provisions of basic amenities.
“We have issues with all the farm settlements, wide spread encroachment, people have taken over government’s land illegally.
“It is sad that this is happening in our farm settlements; we have gone round almost all the farm settlements and we have seen things for ourselves.
“We are working seriously to address so many legal issues and litigation against people who had taken advantage of the system. We have to restore the farm settlements to the purpose for which they were created.
“There must be attractions in our farm settlements such as the provisions of good roads and electricity which will also attract the youth into agriculture,” he said.
He promised that the state government would continue to make farm land available for farmers across the state
In his submission, Mr Olakunle Oluomo, the Speaker of the Assembly, called on the state government to set up a committee on how to reclaim and make the state farm settlements work again.
“People have encroached on the farm settlements, the government should go there and reclaim the farm settlements,” he said.
He appealed to the government to re-engage farm settlers on how to make them more productive and contribute to the food security in the statenan.
