Oluyole Free Trade Zone: “It Is A Classic Attempt To Transfer Stolen Goods” – Zee Int’l Ltd Accuses Oyo Govt
A controversy has erupted over the alleged unlawful takeover of 200 acres of land belonging to Zee International Ltd, a prominent business entity, by the Oyo State Government.
According to a statement signed by Strict Attorneys, Solicitors to Zee International Ltd, the government was accused of embarking on “clandestine maneuvers” to destroy the company’s title and facilitate the unlawful theft of its ancestral investment.
The statement released by Strict Attorneys read thus:
“We act as Solicitors to Zee International Ltd, the bona fide owner and possessor of 200 acres within the precincts now dubiously paraded as part of the so-called “Oluyole Free Trade Zone.” Our client has been in lawful ownership and uninterrupted possession of this land for several years, fortified by plenary and incontestable documentary evidence, and have maintained peaceable possession without disturbance from any quarters until the present acts of brazen impunity.
“It has now come to our attention that the Oyo State Government, acting through its officials, particularly the Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, has embarked on clandestine maneuvers calculated to destroy our client’s title, falsify history, and facilitate the unlawful theft of our client’s ancestral investment. Even more alarming is the revelation, supported by credible intelligence, and evidenced by press release that the State Government has allegedly received huge sums of money from certain Indian interests for the purported “development” of our client’s property without their knowledge, consent, or authorization.
“We must state emphatically: they cannot give what they do not have. The grand ceremony recently staged and publicized—where Oyo State officials purportedly handed over 500 hectares to Universal FMCG Nigeria Unlimited—is nothing short of an exercise in futility. It is a classic attempt to transfer stolen goods under the guise of governance. No free trade zone, no industrial hub, no investor, foreign or local, can acquire peaceable possession of land that is already privately owned and protected under the Nigerian Constitution.
“Our client warns prospective buyers, developers, and financiers in the strongest possible terms: BEWARE. Any venture, transaction, or development embarked upon over our client’s land will be built on sinking sand and fraught with irreversible legal peril. We shall deploy the full arsenal of the law to punctuate this charade, expose the unconstitutionality of the government’s actions, and vindicate our client’s rights.
“History has taught us that governments come and go, but the consequences of injustice remain indelible. We urge the Oyo State Government to retrace its steps, abandon this path of impunity and illegality, and engage our client transparently. Otherwise, we are prepared to meet them in the courts of law, the courts of equity, and the court of public opinion, until justice is restored.”
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Government and Euro FMCG Universal Beverages Limited, Singapore, few days back announced the partnership between the two parties to develop the Oluyole Free Trade Zone.
According to Chief of Staff to Oyo State Governor, Otunba Ogunwuyi, the partnership aligned with the vision of the state to drive and expand the state’s economy as outlined in Governor ‘Seyi Makinde’s Roadmap to Sustainable Development Agenda (2023-2027).
He noted that the land for Oluyole Free Trade Zone was acquired during the last administration and that the Governor Makinde administration would clear all the accumulated and outstanding debts, thus providing the opportunity for the state to utilize the facility by making it possible for investors to take over the space for industrialization purposes.
Ogunwuyi, while assuring the investors of maximum security and support of the state government to fast-track the project, warned land grabbers to steer clear of the area or face the full wrath of the law.
He said: “We are here to hand over the 500 hectares of land to the Universal FMCG Nigeria Limited, which is going to be the development partner with the Oyo State Government for the Oluyole Free Trade Zone.
“This is another milestone from the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde to industrialise Oyo State by engaging in public-private partnership that will bring about a lot of opportunities for the Oyo State economy.
“Don’t forget the fact that the first pillar of the Oyo State Roadmap to Sustainable Development (2023-2027) is economic expansion, and this is part of what we are trying to do. We want to industrialise Oyo State through economic development and partnership with companies like this.
“The company has done it across the world. They have done it in Singapore, they have done it in Myanmar, and some other countries.
“Also, they have the wherewithal, the capital, the experience, the logistical facilities to make this work. So, that’s why we are handing over the 500 hectares of land out of the 1,700 hectares of land in the Oluyole Free Trade Zone.
“There is a timeline for them to achieve this. So, we believe the fact that, given all the necessary opportunities to them, given the partnership framework that we have been able to develop for them, they will be able to actualise and fast-track this particular Free Trade Zone in Oyo State.”
Explaining the expectations on the free trade zone, Ogunwuyi said that the zone would host different sets of industrial activities such as logistics and warehouses, among others.
“When completed, this area is going to host the free trade zone, the FCMG free trade zone, which is a component of the Oluyole Free Trade Zone. It is going to consider about three sets of industrial activities. Logistics is going to be there, warehouse is going to be there. We are even going to have a hotel there.
“So, it is an all-encompassing opportunity that will feed back into the domestic economy through the value chain mode of trying to synergise between the domestic economy and also the foreign part of the economy.
“The Oluyole Free Trade Zone has actually been in existence even before the administration of Governor Makinde but nothing tangible was done about it. But, along the line, we looked for credible investors and that’s why we are partnering with the Universal FCMG Limited.
“We are discussing with the Nigerian Export Processing Zone Authority in Abuja to also get all the necessary documentation done as quickly as possible. It is the vision of Governor Makinde that we are actualising this particular place today as a way of expanding the economy of Oyo State.”
Speaking earlier, the Director of Operations and Business Development, Euro FMCG Universal Beverages Limited, Mr Rajesh Koleti, thanked Governor Makinde for his unwavering commitment to creating a conducive environment for investors and ensuring the ease of doing business in the state.
He stated that the project would include warehouse, agricultural processing and logistics and will create 5,000 direct jobs for residents of the state within the next 24 months.
Present at the event were the Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mr Williams Akin-Funmilayo; committee members of the Oluyole Free Trade Zone; and In-House Counsel for Euro FMCG Universal Beverages Limited, Mr Akin Apara, among others.
