The management of Okomu Oil Palm Plc has raised concerns that its multi-billion-naira investment in Edo State is at risk due to repeated militant disruptions and attacks on its personnel.
The company’s Managing Director, Dr. Graham Hefer, highlighted this issue during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday at Okomu, located in the Ovia South West Local Government Area.
Hefer disclosed that the most recent incident involved an early Monday morning attack in which three of the company’s workers were brutally assassinated within the plantation.
Furthermore, he expressed concern over the escalating security issues both within and outside the plantation, warning that if the situation remains unresolved, the company’s multi-billion naira investment may be forced to shut down operations.
He lamented that despite the company’s huge contribution to both the revenues of the federal and state governments through taxes, the relevant authorities have displayed a lackluster attitude towards their security situation.
What he said
He stated, “Government has to come and take absolute control of the area overtaken by squatters who now terrorise the locality as the owner of the land.
“Government that is supposed to be their custodian and protect the tenants like us, absolutely has no control whatsoever. We are left to our faith.There are police personnel or soldiers and no police post at all.
“Yet, government needs to provide security around the plantation and the people around the communities as law abiding citizens. We have repeatedly said government should put a military base in the plantation.”
“It’s absurd that we pay over N12 billion in taxes to government annually and still are left to fend and seek security for equipment and personnel by ourselves.
“We have to fund our own security and pay more charges in taxes without commensurate service delivery. What kind of investment friendly environment are you providing?” he queried.
Reasons for the attacks as alleged
The company’s Managing Director said the Four Brigade and police authorities were told of the incidents. However, he lamented, “Since the incident, the police have yet to send reinforcements to the area to restore confidence among the workers.”
Hefer expressed that the attacks were motivated by political, ethnic, and ego-driven desires for resource control. He called on the state government to swiftly address the security issues in the area and throughout the state to restore investor confidence.
