The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has accused Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration of plotting to sell or cede the 40-year-old Agodi Government Fish Farm in Ibadan to a private estate developer.
The opposition party alleged that the facility was being targeted for conversion into an extension of Baywood Estate, following the recent destruction of part of the Agodi conservation forest.
In a statement issued on Friday and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the APC Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, described the alleged move as another attempt to dispose of public assets for private interests.
The party said the fish farm, located between the Agodi Gardens and Dandaru Stream in the heart of Ibadan, was an important agricultural and educational facility that should be preserved.
Established about four decades ago, the facility houses offices, laboratories, demonstration farms, fish ponds and training centres used by students, researchers and practising fish farmers.
It also accommodates the Ogunpa Lake, where local and exotic fish species are bred for educational and commercial purposes.The APC alleged that the proposed takeover was part of a wider plan to expand private estate developments around the Agodi Government Secretariat.
“We have uncovered fresh plans by Governor Makinde and his cronies to expand the private housing estate projects around 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,” the statement said.
The party faulted the administration’s handling of public infrastructure, arguing that the alleged plan would further undermine the state’s agricultural and environmental assets.
It also accused the government of neglecting several public facilities, including the Trans Amusement Park, Agodi Gardens, the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State, the Oyo State Library Board and the state Water Corporation.
Expressing concern over the future of other government facilities around Agodi, the APC said residents had reasons to worry about the safety of the Government Secretariat, Government House and Cultural Centre complex.
The party called on Makinde to immediately suspend the alleged plan to cede the fish farm, warning against what it described as the illegal conversion of government-owned properties into private estates.
It also urged elders and concerned residents of the state to prevail on the governor, insisting that those responsible for the alleged sale or takeover of public lands and assets must be held accountable.
