THE GUARDIAI" Wednesday August24.20n
lIUSIN5S 119
Farmers task Fashola on title for agrie land p romot~ ~l(pon of non.oil
Sy Sabalola "'dl!l~emi "YING 10 ililtgrd \'t'S[ro blla-· ets, som~ gIJ'-'tI1uTlr=nt elf.. NIs in Ugo5 SriUr- ~ ddibmt-
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c:ommmiIi and other sWcrIddmtoObBintht:statutg. ry tAk{C d 0) to oonfinn thdr ownership about 5JOO htctms land on whkh tllm: OI~ It1I.'C!StIl1enlS \\ urth .. II estimated minilnwn sum 0( Nl bUIon nair;1.. n~ inYCStmenls Include a feed mill producing plant ,l cres of 011 p~lm,iI poultry, ami iI plgge l)' among others. Elcprnsmg lhis belief ilt the w~ek~nd in Llgos. wtre three rrpresenlaliV1:s of Ihe complainants, namely renowlI~ Oodua r.eoples Congms rounder, Dr. ~rIdt F..sncuo, the Chairman, Mero Commercial ranners, rr\nce ~", o,.I<"".nd .....' p"". Iitlont'r. Banister Srll uu
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OlMously disappoint~ with the sit uation, fasheun, who did not hklt his admir; tion for the Lagos Stat~ gow:rnor, wondertll why he could no!: urume an admirable p0s.ture on the Issue In line with his ptdigrft as a courageous O1nd 'anion govt:mof' of repute and hall the linRCC1ng cJel.tYO\'c."rtllelssulngorCorO to the complainants. It remaln~ amazlng.to say th~ least. Fashcun ellljlf1asiscd, lh.1t Jenulne in'ltSIOB, whose ilCttYlOrs W{)utd not only cre.... te employment, but also boost local food consumption,
be r=ncourag~, 00l to talk or th ~ sltuoatlon wh~r~ W~ .. Ctlulrcdlhe IOlIlI:Hronllh~tra· dluon.l l own~rs. The Unll~ Nallons h.u warned that in the next IS )'C.lts. Iherr: will be rood lmecuri(), O1nd world hung~r, ls Nigria working (owards loin· Ing Ihe stalVoldon group~ So. Ihdewofuswhowantto.weft the prediction ilnd ha~ t'mbrac~ IlwestmentsIn ilgri. C\lltu~ should nOI be discouraged but r,nher drservts encoul"iI&ement.So.W'~aflpeal 10 lhe Ltges sl;ate gO\'enlor [0 helpU5.OrlsthlsM"arokostage
products o1ndrJ~n~r.lt~ r~ rederal lcYds could upc'rlena the prcv.tll· IIlg disincentk~, rather than been encoulOlgcd oind t\'~n supported ..... ith inccmlYH. SUesslngthatthesltualion h.u ted to tht stoppage or fUr· ther Invntments In the .K(luired land, Fasheun SQt· cd; "Und security Is mtlcall Nobody likes a slruatlon wllt're after investing huvily, planting groundnu15 and other crops, you are simpJ. asked to vaC.lte the l.ln . Beside$, UIIs place neMs SUI" port in fonn of good accrst i'oads and electricity .. mong w others. Be addcd, -Nigeria used 10 beknownasanagroltiancwnomy. At thaI lime, wr W't"I"e ~'ell red. had good ro.xls.dct:tr1dty .. nd CVt'n f~ cducr don In some stairs; ~ "~I to relhl'r tha.t cr.a. ~n if the land In qut5llon Is gow:m· ment'sown, wrstilldeservrto enueaUtal~a
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Speaking 011 a similar nOle, Oyckoya, who championro tne agiLltion for Ihe posses50n 0( the statutory title ror the land, and Is the leilld inYHlor In the propen)( dtscrlbcd the pt"n'ailing sitw· Uotl as most Trustr.Jting and dep40lOlhk Vlslbly~illt'dbylhtsitur tion, cvt:n as h~ spoke with
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~motlon, Oyekoy;a op1.Jined
Ih~lituatfon.l$ti~ lam~nted, ~ hen Is a land that suddenly i>«oIme Yery OIulOlcLiYt' to some gOV1:rnmtnt officials aft.er~opena!itupror;agri-
cultural dcvclopmenL \YegW this place as an anblc land, (OfIfifnwd tlu.lal theMinlsuy of Agnc, .lind we In~ In IL l.1gos Sl:;)t~ land bure.. u okcI~ lu we. and we I~ sina been p.:tytllg agric land I 1nract,theMinistryofAgrlC asslul-dllswhenwcwantt.'dto IIU1'thasc 011 palm for plant. ng.l"rOb l em,ho~'er,stlrt~
wilen we were denied C of 0 by the st.lle go\'ernrnent undet-theClilcusethattheiand was mJ ulred 10 build an Inlt(. natJonal airpon. ~ Heconlinutd, ~on IlM5I.1p t5on, we gathemS thai only l,ooo heCtAres or the 5300 h«tiIm land was earmarktd for the airport, a faa, which couklbea5Ct'rtalntdrromthe Su~rGcner.tl. ln fact, the
airport loco1tlun Is ~ry rar fromourrOimliands,mdOlhcr arr:.tS ....'C .lire using. "ncskles.. another inlemt· Ing d~lopm~nt Is that SOlllC otner land owners in rhis S;lf11C place, lei me just ,wy. btaUSl: or goymuntnt con· nrctlOfl, fyd gottm their C or Os. meiln'n8 that we ue slmIlly been work~ against by some people wllil \'CSt~ Inlerrsu in Ihls pr~rty,~ lhe f,:armer, who pn:scntly resldeslntheratm,addtdthal his grleye was not only on exlstlng In\ld\menu, but also over IllS Inability to obtain iI flnanclal Sup~rt from the Ctntral Rilnk or Nigeria (OlN) ;lIldthe World Bank .. mong Others. btaUSl: he could no!: produce a C of O. lie dlsclostd, ~AfCfO commercial rann is a benefKlary ollhe C8N Intervention fund in agrie. to the tune of NIOO million. Bul. weannot access itbec.u15t:ihelandhasnotitle. Wor ld Bank officials vbittd
thls (.ann and adv.l!1coo us lca.n, but Ihiscould not alsoilt'
.KCcsscd ror th e Sil lnt reason. This Is frustrating! 'tlow can a slncf'R' ill\~or willi"g 10 contribute 10 Nigeria's Konomlc dt\'t'loptTl(nt be KO'ng through this? Why itrt'"" playing IiI! snvia 10 .agricullurr: df'Spite Its srYf'f. 011 ~eflts? I knoW how much WI! spend here 10 provide power through generators. since tlltre Is 110 eiC!'Ctricity, and no road. This Is a Vt''1 Il(linful experience! Corrobo..... tlng Fasheul1.ll1u Oyekoya, Ibl1lhlm also dt'CLlIaI, ·What is dear is thaI the st.lte gOVl:mment docs not 11C«1 all or this land for me ~ oilrpon. Whatlsa.!so tru~ Is that the present ustrsor th~ land h.avr .. cqulred It appropria.tdy (rom the tr.Jd1· tlonOir owners in line with global iIIcquishlon, which fKogniSt'.S the payment o r compcns.Jtlon to tr.Idi(ional landowntrs..
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NASS yet to decide
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101
lbadan A MEMBER d the House of IInhlm OIdifa has disclosed tl lal th~
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stand on the conUlJlYt'rslai Islamic I»nking being pr~
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tht: NIgm1"""" Unkln of}owNIlsts .""""'" - by
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Slate coundl cautioned SIJf11t nonhnn R'UIdous Itiiidm ag;tinst m-.Jdn2.lnllam·
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mluxy st.1lm'Itn6 In the CYmt Ulilt u~ prtJfIOSII \\<15 ~td s.1)ing dialogut and mlWlten· ment Cilmpaign shouTd be emb,lJ'ktd upon to hl~.hllghuhe bcncliu of the ba!~~ S}&~rn w unlnfmmed Nigerians. TIle Lmmaktr. ho.....~ytr, disagtMf with the commmlJ 0( .u1lC commllnity.md I't'iigious Itadm fran u.e t!a\hrrtl part. of t1.e mtJIlI!Y who N-..e iJftn maJdnJ Inn.immawry ~iltr
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InmlSItlUIte\~thatlhcbank·
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Ing s}'stem wilS ~cd. ~ is true U\aI. at tlllt 1M! the HOI.I5r
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Invited tlle gtMmor or the Catuailbnk OlNigaia (GIN) 10 $I1td ITIOR lighl on the l opic brcauSt' of ~rsy it fw gtnnOIlrd but tl.e war threltCf1IlIg stand of some NonllCfTl ~
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Yhe perrecc sumrner getaway Slap lh~ stress of trayeling this summer and check In to th~ fabulous Federal Palace Hotel & CaSIno for 1. nights of
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rdiglous intolerance.· Obi" POinted out tJlo)t the mme: cl the country M1d the
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tn his I«t.UI~, a runner Oultman of ClC PIlgrims \o\\:lf3n! DOlllti, Muslim \-\lIng In the SUt~, Sheikh Temltopl! Mustapihl caltrd for tolc.'l"ilnct from all concerned. i!dvUlng that romer than lht h}gcrll dlC Issue: has gmmttll it sllOUkI be
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on Islamic banking. sal's lawmaker From lyabo
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luxury! For Just N97 500, you g~t · 1. flights cl(commodatlOl'l In a standard king room on a bed and br~akfast baSiS for 1. persons sharing • 1. JI SSO Double Up Vouch~rs valid for Ihe Federal Palace CaSinO • UnlimIted use of the Pool Club facIlitIeS and Gym Valid for Fflday and Saturday nights from 5 August to I October 20 11
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Booking essential Coolaclre5efVations on 0 1 277 9000 01' email:reservationsOng .sunlnternational com
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