It is no news that President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government has resolved to diversify the Nigerian economy with the non-oil sector and exports. The government targets an improved non-oil sector performance and gross domestic product in the 2019 fiscal year and beyond.
But Ejila/Igbesa communities in Ado-Odo/Ota local council of the state, home to the only operational free trade zone in Ogun State, are threatening to send away Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone, accusing them of encroaching on their land, thereby endangering the country’s non-oil sector vision.
The Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone is located in Igbesa/ Agbara industrial hub of Ogun state and is dominated by Chinese investors operating as a business cluster within the zone. The free zone was licensed by the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), which allocated 2,000 hectares of land in Igbesa/Ejila communities in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State with a 99-year tenor of operations.
The 2,000 hectare-land allocation was done in 2008 by Ogun State Government with Certificate of Occupancy No. 026765. A tripartite approval was secured from the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment; Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), and Ogun State government to operate as a manufacturing cluster.
The Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone, Igbesa, operated by China-Africa Investment FZC, is one of the 14 active free zones with 57 registered companies and over $500 million cumulative investments, offering employment opportunities for over 10,000 Nigerians in the form of direct and indirect jobs.
The recent threats coming from ‘Omo Onile’, also known as land grabbers, backed by disgruntled members of Igbesa/Ejila communities, have, however, left so much to be desired. The ‘Omo Onile’ are alleged to be backed by the chairman of Land Owners Committee of Igbesaland, Solomon Ajose, as operators allege disturbances of manufacturing operations at Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone. The communities claim that some 484.019 hectares of land within the 2,000 hectares allocated to Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone in 2008 belong to them.
They say that the 484.019 hectares of land belonging to Imapa, Iludofin, Irinsa, Ikosi, Isunba, Ilemo, Iliwo, Imuse, Idafero and Ipodo families and the Acquisition Gazette do not cover the parcel of land referred to in the land acquisition arrangement which Ogun State government undertook to allocate to Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone and, therefore, the management of the zone – China-Africa Investment FZC-should vacate their land.
But in a swift reaction to the threat issued on China-Africa Investment FZC, Daniel Che, deputy general manager and Sebastine Ijomah, public affairs manager of the free zone, said that the 2,000 hectares of land on which Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone was built, was dully acquired from relevant government agencies for the establishment of the zone and the communities involved. They said the ‘Omo Onile’ are only looking for an issue which there is none.
They noted that the land was dully acquired and the genuine land owners were being compensated through Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture and Bureau of Lands and Survey, saying the first batch of 1,439 and second batch of 2,285 have received N149.5 million and N126.6 million respectively, for economic trees and crops affected during the land acquisition, and more would still be paid in addition to several corporate social responsibility being carried out in the form of education, road construction, and medical outreach, among others.
The land title documents and ‘composite plan’ prepared by Femi Olunubi of Ogun State Bureau of Lands and Survey and signed by Onososen O. Ken-Salem, acting surveyor-general, Ogun State, the copies of which shown to BusinessDay, confirmed Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone as the rightful owners of the land.
Based on the economic contributions of the zone to the entire economy of the country, China-Africa Investment FZC requested the relevant authorities to wade into the issue, saying, “Nigeria and China are forging a common front in terms of economy, technology and currency swap which we believe will bring the needed mutual benefits to the two nations and investments like Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone. We, therefore, appeal to the Federal Government of Nigeria to wade into this and find a lasting solution to the issue.
“An issue like this also requires involvement of host communities, local government authority and state government if frantic and tangible achievement will be made. We, therefore, request Ogun State, through the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, to fashion local solutions to the issue at hand and we pledge to abide by the prompt, reasonable and business-oriented solutions given by the relevant authorities.”
RAZAQ AYINLA
