The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has raised another alarm over an alleged plan by Governor Seyi Makinde‘s administration to cede the Agodi Fish Farm to Baywood Estate, an annex of the former conservation forest that was recently destroyed to make way for the private property.
The 40-year-old Agodi Fish Farm sits between the decimated Agodi Gardens and Dandaruu Stream in the heart of Ibadan. It is a world-class facility housing offices, laboratories, demonstration farms, ponds, and training centers for staff, students, and prospective and practising fish farmers.
It also harbours the Ogunpa Lake, where local and exotic fish species are bred for educational and commercial purposes.
In a statement issued on Friday and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the Oyo APC lamented what it described as the Makinde administration’s prodigal orientation. It said this shows in the sale of government land and other properties to cronies for private estates.
According to the party, the same orientation shows in a poor maintenance culture, evident in the deplorable condition of many prized state assets since 2019.
“We have uncovered fresh plans by Gov. Makinde and his cronies to expand the private housing estate projects around the Agodi Government Secretariat, which has birthed Baywood Estate. After the destruction of the enviable green zone that protects the environment around the area, the next in line for Governor Makinde is to level up the Government Fish Farm facility with a view to joining the large expanse of land, which it occupies, with the private estate.
“Gov. Makinde cannot lay claim to any reasonable achievements in the critical sectors of the state economy, including agriculture and environment, and he feels the best way to go again is to destroy a massive fish farm that has benefitted humanity for close to four decades.
“Trans Amusement Park, Agodi Gardens, BCOS, Oyo State Library Board, Water Corporation of Oyo State, among other state agencies, have suffered similar fates in the last seven and a half years, and the fear of the residents now is about the safety of the Agodi Government Secretariat, Government House, and Cultural Centre complex, among others.
“The APC hereby advises Gov. Makinde to suspend his planned ceding of the Government Fish Farm to Baywood Estate and other facilities that have been penciled down for illegal conversion into private property.
While we call on Oyo State elders and people of conscience to caution Governor Makinde against adding the Fisheries building to sold assets, we advise him and his cronies to get ready to account for all the government lands and properties that have been sold or hijacked illegally,” the APC said.
Packaged by Temitayo Afolabi
