Augustine Oloruntogbe, a former chairman of the Akoko South West Local Government in Ondo State, has declined to join the Ondo State Cocoa Revolution and Management Board.
In a letter to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Oloruntogbe, the former chairman of the state’s Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, or ALGON, declined the position.
In an effort to reposition agriculture as a major engine of the state’s economy, Aiyedatiwa approved the Ondo State Cocoa Revolution and Management Board’s constitution on Friday.
In the letter, Oloruntogbe explained that he would be unable to serve because of urgent personal and professional obligations that prevented him from giving the task the full attention it requires.
In the meantime, the former chairman of the council took advantage of his letter of rejection to bring the governor’s attention to what he claimed as pressing complaints from the state’s farmers.
He claims that cocoa growers in the Ose Game Reserve have claimed that up to N150,000 is being taken from each farmer and deposited into a private account without an official receipt.
Oloruntogbe called on the state government to look into the claims and make sure that all levies and payments made along the cocoa value chain are clear, well recorded, and routed through official government accounts.
He added that resolving the problem would safeguard cocoa growers and boost public trust in the state’s ongoing Cocoa Revolution Agenda reforms.
“After careful consideration and consultation, I have respectfully declined the offer to serve on the Board at this time due to urgent personal and professional obligations that will prevent me from giving the assignment the full attention and dedication it deserves.
“I also want to respectfully bring to Your Excellency’s attention a matter of urgent concern raised by cocoa farmers in Oka Akoko who farm within the Ose Game Reserve in the spirit of supporting the success of the Cocoa Revolution.”
There are claims that enormous amounts of N150,000 per farmer were collected and deposited into a private account without an official receipt.
“I humbly request that the state government investigate this issue and make sure that all levies and payments in the cocoa value chain are appropriately recorded, transparent, and routed through official government accounts.