The Ogun State  Government today made good its promise of paying compensations to farmers whose crops had to give way to some of its infrastructural developments  as about N20m was paid to 151 farmers in Itoku Elewe Irepodun Community in Kobape, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of the State.

The farmland of the beneficiaries was affected by a new housing scheme to be located in the area.
Presenting the cheques to farmers in the first 50 hectare land acquired, Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs. Ronke Sokefun reaffirmed that the Senator Ibikunle Amosun led administration was passionate about agricultural development and would have ordinarily not tampered with their crops.

She however said government had to take the painful decision of taking over the farmlands because it was extremely necessary, saying at the end of the day, the housing scheme would help open up the area and attract more people that would enhance their socio-economic status.

“We are very much aware that your crops are important to you, and we know that farming is your major source of income, as matter of fact, agricultural development for food production and industrialisation remains one of our five cardinal programmes, but we also need the land to pursue another cardinal programme, housing. At the end of the day, it would be a win-win situation as the  housing scheme would bring in people, engender further development and ultimately, enhance socio-economic status”, Sokefun remarked