LAFARGE: Elebute farmers are liars – Traditional ruler

https://youtu.be/FtGAmwQfWK4

LAFARGE, a multinational cement manufacturing company situates in Ewekoro LGA of Ogun State has been exonerated from being responsible for destruction of farm land and products as alleged by a group of people under the umbrella of Elebute Farmers.

One of the two tributaries of Yewa river that overflows periodically into Elebute nearby farmlands

Speaking with RazorTimes in his palace, Monday, the Baale of Elebute town, Chief Abdulwaheed Onigbinde, debunked the allegation saying that there has never been any water flowing from Lafarge factory into any farm land within the territory of Elebute town via Ewekoro.

Chief Onigbinde explained that the group are opportunists non-indigenes who are bent on getting a way to exploit Lafarge.

“I can confirm to you authoritatively as the Head of this Community that there is a cordial relationship between the indigenes of Elebute and Lafarge.

The second tributary of Yewa river that overflows periodically into Elebute nearby farmlands

“There’s no water from Lafarge be it toxic or clean that affects our farms. The company uses drying agents more than water.

“It will interest you to know that the so-called agitators are not indigenes of Elebute. They are foreigners; Igede, Egun, et cetera”, High Chief Onigbinde stated.

A 76 years old Chief Olayiwola Ogunrinde, the Balogun of Elebute, corroborated the Baale, saying that their forefathers abandoned the portion of the farmland due to the periodical flood arising from two tributaries of Yewa river that flows through an adjacent Akinbo town to Iro  town.

“During my childhood, my mother in particular has a farmland in that axis, she would harvest whatever she planted before the expected flood by tributaries of Yewa river that flows through Akinbo town.

“Infact, about 40 years ago, as a result of the periodical flood, a nearby town, Ibagun, became desolate.

“My father who died in 2006 at age 96 would tell me to allow those non indigenes to be farming on the land. Neither was the land sold nor leased to them.

According to Chief Olasodun Bashir, the Osi Elebute, it was a portion reserved for dry season farming, otherwise, the flood will overtake the farm during the raining season. Our parents reserved the farmland for dry season cultivation only.

“So, the flood was not the making of the Lafarge, rather, it was a natural phenomena caused by the tributaries of Yewa river that flows through Onigbedu, Akinbo towns.

“The people in question were aware that the farmland is swampy which periodically get flooded by excessive rainfall”.

Speaking also, the Akinrogun of Elebute, Chief Iskilu Olojede, said, the people are land speculators, adding that at a time, the Olu of ITORI, HRM Oba Abdulfatai Akamo had counseled and warned the people from concocting outright lies against Lafarge.

Chief Olojede said that he also planted an acre of sugarcane on the said farmland due to the riverine nature of the land because sugarcane can thrive on such soil texture only.

“Let me shock you that between 1898 to 1902 when railway gauge was being constructed, they built two bridges over the rivers, and that was when Lafarge has not dreamt of mining in Ewekoro because it was about 58 years after the construction of the bridges that Lafarge came into existence. You can see that the people are group of liars.

“Lafarge is one of the most responsible mining industries in Ogun State. Lafarge doesn’t toil with its CSR. And they are environmentally concerned”, Chief Olojede noted.