.. .leads over 20 new oil palm investors to ceremonial planting at Okogbo Community, Orhionmwon LGA_
_Nosakhare Agbonigiarhuoyi_
Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Friday, flagged off the second phase of the Edo State Oil Palm Program (ESOPP).
Obaseki who was on a visitation tour to Saro Oil Palm Limited, one of the state’s oil palm investors, led over 20 new oil palm investors in the state to perform the ceremonial planting at Okogbo Community in Orhionmwon Local Government area.
Obaseki remarked that the state government has not only created a conducive environment for investors, by setting up structures to mitigate challenges surrounding land allocation, but has also availed investors of their corporate social responsibilities to host communities, which has promoted a harmonious relationship between investors and host communities.
According to the Governor, “What we are doing here today is to come with the new investors in what we call ESOPP 2. The investor here belongs to the ESOPP 1, which we launched about two and a half years ago. Today we are about to launch ESOPP 2, with another set of investors to offtake almost 50,000 hectares of land for oil palm cultivation. ESOPP 1 covered 70, 000 hectares of land.
“So we are here on a tour to see what those people we gave land have done with the land, and to show those who have applied to participate in this program, what the expectations are.”
The Governor added: “Under the oil palm program, what the state has done is to look at all the issues from land allocation to dealing with the communities, ensuring that you get prior consent on community land; we look at the investors’ programs, how they intend to cultivate; we look at the infrastructural challenges, their commitment to the communities; and also ensure that they have the right planting materials that will make the venture profitable for them.”
In the same vein, the Governor, during his visit to Fayus Nigeria Limited, another oil palm investor in the state, noted: “What has come to light today is that there is no reason why we should remain poor or not being able to feed ourselves when we have all these land available. We must all come up with a system where we agree on the use and benefit to everybody. We should all sit around the table and have some amicable arrangement and understanding, so that everybody in the chain benefits. That is what we have tried to do with ESOPP; and that has been the basis of its success so far.”
