Bayelsa Agriculture Commissioner Vows to Protect State Assets Amid Protest Over School-to-Land Fencing

The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Prof. Beke Sese, has reiterated the commitment of his ministry to protect all agricultural assets belonging to the state government, despite protests by some property owners over ongoing perimeter fencing works at the School-to-Land Authority.

The Commissioner made this known on Wednesday during a fact-finding visit to the ministry following a recent protest by residents and developers within the School-to-Land Authority axis of Biogbolo II, Yenagoa, the state capital.

Trouble reportedly began when the ministry commenced perimeter fencing of about 16 hectares of land said to belong to the School-to-Land Authority, amid allegations that private individuals had encroached on government-owned land.

Prof. Sese explained that the decision to fence the land was informed by repeated cases of criminal invasion and vandalism of government facilities in the area, leading to the loss of public assets.

He clarified that the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources has no mandate to demolish buildings or illegal structures, stressing that the directive given to contractors was strictly to fence government-owned land and nothing more.

“It is not the mandate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources to demolish any building or illegal structure within the School-to-Land Authority. Our responsibility is to train farmers and support agricultural activities of the Bayelsa State Government,” he said.

According to the Commissioner, the School-to-Land Authority covers about 19 hectares of land, a significant portion of which, based on available documentation, has been encroached upon by developers.

“We need adequate land to train our farmers. We plan to establish poultry facilities, expand rice farming and boost food production for Bayelsa State, to the extent that other states can come here to buy our produce,” he added.

While acknowledging the right of citizens to protest, Prof. Sese warned that protesters must not harass or harm contractors and workers carrying out the fencing project.

“People have the right to protest, but on no account should any protester touch or harm the contractors and workers simply because they feel their houses may be affected by the fencing,” he cautioned.

He disclosed that representatives of some protesting property owners had earlier engaged with the ministry, where officials presented documents showing that the affected individuals had encroached on government land.

He further noted that the fencing project was duly approved by the state governor following the submission of a memo by the ministry.

“As it stands, the only person who can stop this project is the Governor himself,” the Commissioner said.