BY KOLADE LAREWAJU
ABEOKUTA— HUNDREDS of land owners in Wasinmi, Ewekoro Local Government area of Ogun State, yesterday took to the streets protesting alleged takeover of their land and farms by the Federal Ministry of Aviation for the construction of an airstrip.

The protesters led by one Chief Lanrewaju Shoji, said that about six weeks ago, the communities noticed some contractors fencing their farm land and villages.

According to them, their investigation showed that the land was meant for the proposed Ogun

airstrip, a project allegedly initiated by the former House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole.

The protesters, who said they had petitioned the Presidency and the Ogun State Governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun on the matter, claimed they were not informed about the project.

They claimed that unconfirmed report says the place had been acquired and designated as the Abeokuta Airstrip by the Ministry of Aviation and Rubicon Aeronautics International Limited a

contractor appointed for the project.

The villages include Mosan, Pataleri, Okuro, Igbein, Kenta, Oko, Wasinmi Abule and Oluwagun. Others are Osupoki Adeagba Igbein Kekere and others said the condition for the encroachment were not spelt out to the farm owners

Chanting songs , the protesters who displayed placards with various inscriptions such as “Hon Minister of Aviation, are you aware of this project at Wasinmi in Ewekoro Local Government of Ogun State?”, “Ogun State Government save us from these land speculators and Rubicon Aeronautics Nigeria Limited”, “we have no access to our cash crops, among others, said that none of the owners of the land were consulted before the land were taken with no signed agreement or promissory agreement with the Community.

Chief Shoji said “If truly it is a Federal government project, did land use decree empower the government to impound or encroach on individual lands without due consultation with the property owner or even a hand shake. Because it was after the land Use Decree of 1978 that Obasanjo bought

several acres of land from Ota people including Winners Church and the Ota people were duly consulted and reasonably compensated.”