By Henry Ojelu

The Aheri Kingdom in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State has endorsed the Olokola Free Trade Zone, OKFTZ, project, but rejected what it described as an unauthorised attempt to acquire its ancestral land for a proposed “Dangote Industrial City” along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway corridor.

The position was contained in a communiqué issued after a meeting convened by His Imperial Majesty, Oba Ilesanmi Raphael Ikuemonisan-Mafo, the Maporure of Aheri, at Zion-Pepe, Ilaje, on September 5.

Representatives of the Ondo State Government and Dangote Industries Limited attended the meeting.

According to the kingdom, the OKFTZ project, comprising a deep seaport, refinery and other projects, was initiated in 2007 to cover 10,000 hectares along the coastal boundary of Ondo and Ogun states, with each state expected to provide 5,000 hectares under the administration of former Governor Olusegun Agagu.

The project stalled under his successor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, while Aliko Dangote, who had initially shown interest, later relocated his refinery project to Lekki, Lagos State, after the two states failed to reach an agreement on land acquisition.

The community said it was prepared to support the return of Dangote and other investors to the OKFTZ under Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

“We welcome the return of Dangote and other investors to the Olokola Free Trade Zone,” the communiqué stated.

However, the kingdom faulted the exclusion of host community representatives from the Technical Committee established by the state government to liaise with Dangote and other private investors.

It said the omission was capable of worsening the communication gap among stakeholders.

The community also alleged that its lands and forests were being invaded by persons purportedly conducting enumeration, data collection and environmental impact assessments for undisclosed projects.

It said such activities were taking place “without any documented government acquisition specifying the location or dimensions” of the land involved.

Aheri raised particular concerns over a proposed “Dangote Industrial City”, which it said, citing figures attributed to Dangote publications, could cover about 29,250 hectares along the coastal highway.

The community said the proposed development, when added to the 10,000 hectares earmarked for the OKFTZ, would result in a landmass larger than several existing free trade zones in the country.

It stressed that Aheri Kingdom was “the only available land for meaningful development north of the Atlantic shoreline for the Ilaje people.”

The community said it would “resist any attempt to displace residents from their ancestral homes or deny them the benefits of development” opened up by the coastal highway.

While endorsing investment strictly within the OKFTZ along the Atlantic corridor, Aheri rejected any project extending into the hinterland around Alape Lagoon and the highway corridor.

“We reject any project that extends into the hinterland and would make us tenants on our own ancestral land,” it said.

The kingdom also warned that it did not want to become another Nigerian community whose land, acquired for a government-private project, was never returned after the project failed.

It further said any attempt to use persons without legitimate ancestral land titles to cause division among the people would be resisted.

The communiqué was signed by Ayeoba Ige Asemudara, Secretary, Aheri Development Council.