Indigenes of Idanre, Ondo state have protested government take over of the forest reserve in the locality.
Protesters who disrupted commercial and business activities on Tuesday barricaded major roads to protest the take over.
Major roads and strategic locations in Odode Idanre, Alade Idanre and Atosin Idanre, the three main towns in the community were blocked by the irate youths.
The Protesters bearing different placards with different inscriptions move around the community chanting “we no go gree”.
The Placards bear various inscriptions such as ,”Ondo State Government should leave our forest for us”, “We depend on our farming activities for survival”
Some indigenes of Idanre who spoke with newsmen lament the decision of government to take over the forest reserve.
According to them, such take overs will have ripple negative effect not only on the community but Ondo State as a whole.
They said, “there will be massive unemployment and attendant rise in crime rate in the land which was known for being peaceful and virtually crime free.”
Akinseye Niyi, an indigene of Idanre wondered what the government want the unemployed youths who went to work in the forest reserve after strolling the streets for years in fruitless searches for elusive jobs.
Another indigene, Akinsohun Clement says there’s no justification for such decision.
“There is no justification whatsoever for the Ondo State Government to overnight want to snatch a land belonging to the people of Idanre in order to please few investing individuals at the detriment of the real owners of their ancestral land.”
Meanwhile, security officers were on ground to ensure that there was no break down of law and order.
It would be recalled that Ondo State Government, recently announced the transformation of the forest reserves to a new industrial hub where oil palm and allied industries will spring up.
The government had signed an agreement with some foreign partners and the imminent take-off of the project sparked the current imbroglio .
