NAN-HE-
Sensitisation
By Muhammad Nasir Bashir
Dutse, Dec. 30, 2016 (NAN) The Jigawa state Government says it will inaugurate a sensitisation committee on Jan. 3, to educate 36 communities in the state on the establishment of a sugar factory by Lee Group, a Chinese company.
The Deputy Governor of the state, Barr. Ibrahim Hassan, disclosed this while briefing newsmen after a stakeholders’ meeting in Dutse on Friday.
It will be recalled that peasant farmers in 36 communities in the state had threatened to relocate to other states if the state government carried out its plan to lease 12,000 hectares of their farmlands to a Chinese businessman, simply identified as Mr Lee.
The angry villagers, who hail from Gwiwa, Taura, Gagarawa, and Sule Tankarkar local government areas of the state, got wind of the state government’s intention to rent their lands to Mr. Lee, following an agreement with the government for the cultivation of sugar cane by the Chinese business man.
The development did not go down well with the peasants, who then stormed the High Court in Dutse and the Government House to protest and demand the withdrawal of the agreement between Mr. Lee and the state government.
They chanted slogans such as: “We refuse to give out our lands to foreign investors”, and “Give us back our lands, they belong to us”.
The deputy governor said: “It was a high level stakeholders’ meeting to bridge the gap of misunderstanding with regards to Mr Lee Project; and it went well.
“A lot of details were given about the project; there were some adjustments made with regards to sensitisation and compensation.
“But essentially, we got everybody’s commitment to ensure that we work together and solve all issues surrounding the project.”
Hassan said the meeting observed that lack of adequate sensitisation led some people to protest the acquisition of their farmlands for the establishment of the sugar factory.
According to the deputy governor, it has been agreed that there is need for more grassroots sensitisation concerning the project, its scope, and packages.
“During the meeting, it was agreed that more needed to be done to sensitise stakeholders to the project’s scope and packages.
“This is because stakeholders were busy talking about people being displaced and their lands being taken away without their livelihood being restored.
“But they were not talking about the other side of the project that would uplift their living standards and make them much better than before.
“So, on Jan. 3, 2017, a larger sensitisation committee would be inaugurated to educate the benefiting communities on the project, and the committee would swing into action immediately,” he explained.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Chinese company plans to use N39.2 billion to establish a sugar company in Kaugama Local Government Area of the state. (NAN)
MNB/YEE
Edited by Emmanuel Yashim
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