- Businessman: “Abiodun Took Over My Rice Farm”
- Abiodun: “It’s A Lie, I Only Supported Your Rice Farm”
By Abiola Olawale
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and a businessman from Kebbi State, Bello Zabarmawa are locked in a battle of words over a 200-hectare rice plantation located in Magboro in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The trouble started when Zabarmawa accused Governor Abiodun of inappropriately taking possession of his a 200-hectare rice plantation and misrepresented it as a project financed by his administration with assistance from the World Bank.
Zabarmawa, who spoke with the PM News, a Lagos based newspaper raised this allegation after Abiodun and his entourage, including a crew of photographers and videographers, visited the rice plantation in Magboro in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of the state.
Zabarmawa, was quoted by PM News as claiming that the issue started when he approached the Ogun State Government seeking assistance on the rice plantation project.
He was quoted to have approached the state government given it was an enormous expanse of land that was required for the project.
He said he paid N6 million to secure 220 hectares on lease and registered it with the “Young Service Grow” using “Alubarika Farms.”
He also admitted that the Ogun State government supported the project by paying 50 per cent of the cost of clearing the ground and supplying fertilisers.
However, in a statement issued by the Ogun State Government, Abiodun refuted allegations being made by Bello Zabarmawa.
The Governor clarified that he never claimed the rice plantation as a project of his administration.
The statement also maintained that the rice plantation is under the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP) and supported by the World Bank.
The statement reads in part: “The attention of the Ogun State Government has been drawn to a news story published by an online medium, PM NEWS, claiming that the rice project launched by Governor Dapo Abiodun at Magboro in Obafemi Owode Local government is not a state government initiative but rather a private project owned by Alhaji Bello Zabarmawa, a businessman from Kebbi State.
“The report is not only biased and shrouded in half-truths but also falls short of logical presentation of issues and portrays the newspaper as simply mischievous.
“The deliberate misrepresentation of Governor Abiodun’s speech on the day he visited the 200-hectare rice farm is the most ridiculous blunder a newspaper could have committed at this level of media advancement in democratic Nigeria.
“PM News’ report becomes even more ridiculous when the person it alleged made the allegation it sensationally published categorically denied ever making such a statement.
“To be sure, we acknowledge private sector contributions to rice production in the state and appreciate efforts to support the local economy. However, we must correct the false claim that the State Government is claiming ownership of the 200-hectare farm.
“We affirm that the 200-hectare rice farm belongs to 200 farmers aggregated under the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP) and supported by the World Bank. The farm known as Alubarika Rice Farm Cluster, like many others across the state, enjoys government support via OGSTEP, including training on best agricultural practices, discounted inputs, mechanization, and linkage toff-takers.
“The OGSTEP Agricultural Sector Intervention aims to stimulate economic growth and improve income for smallholder farmers in the state, with the rice project being one of the key commodities being supported by the project.”
