Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
The Oru community in Ijebu North local government area of Ogun State has called for the quick intervention of the state government over the boundary dispute with Ago Iwoye which dated back to over five decades.
The community has warned that should the government failed to heed to their appeal, such indifference is like a keg of gun powder that might explode at any time with dire consequences.
Speaking during the press briefing, Elder Adegboyega Adepitan who was supported by the traditional ruler of the town, Oba AbdulRasak Olufemi Adebanjo as well as Chairman of Oru Community Development Council, Prof Joseph Olusanya among other leaders of the community wondered why it has been so difficult for the state government for almost 10 years to implement various reports and judgements over the said boundary dispute.
Elder Adegboyega Adepitan explained that the boundary dispute arose some years back when the people of Ago Iwoye who had bought some parts of Oru land began making provocative claims that such land belong to Ago Iwoye.
He said to resolve this crisis, the community sent petition to Justice Nasir Boundary Adjustment Commission of Federal Military Government in 1974 and the Commission declared among other things that Eripa stream should be both the administrative and traditional boundary between the two communities.
Adepitan said, in 1983, Osibodu Boundary Settlement Commission set up by Ogun State government to take a second look at the report of Justice Nasir equally declared among other things that Eripa stream is the boundary between the two communities of Oru and Ago Iwoye.
He disclosed further that, dissatisfied with the verdict of Osibodu Boundary Settlement Commission, the people of Ago Iwoye appealed to the Ogun State Boundary Dispute Appeal Tribunal headed by Justice S B Craig but the appeal tribunal in its report dated November 27, 1985 dismissed this appeal affirming the report of the two earlier commissions on the boundary dispute.
The community leader revealed further that, acting on the report of these boundary dispute commissions, the Ogun State government ordered the Surv General to establish the boundary between the two communities but while this work was about 75% done, the people of Ago Iwoye drove the surveyors working on the site away according to Surveyor General report dated September 12, 1988.
Elder Adegboyega Adepitan stated further that, even though the people of Ago Iwoye had approached an high court that declared the report of Osibodu Boundary Settlement Commission set up by Ogun State government as null and void while also restraining the state government from erecting any pillar around the aforementioned as the boundary between the two communities, Court of Appeal at Ibadan in its judgement of November 24, 2005 had among other things upheld the said report.
He disclosed that an Ogun State High Court sitting at Abeokuta and presided over by Hon Justice N I Saula had also in its August 14, 2012 judgement also affirmed the decisions of the previous commissions when he said among other things that “The law says the Appeal Tribunal like the Supreme Court in ordinary cases is the last bus stop for the case..”
Elder Adepitan said it was also instructive to note that the Ogun State government had since January 1994 gazetted the findings of the various boundary commissions proclaiming Eripa stream as both the administrative and traditional boundary between Oru and Ago Iwoye.
He said the community had for over ten years been writing the state government urging for the implementation of the reports of this Commissions to stave off avoidable communal clash but the government has refused to act.
Adepitan said the indifference of the state government has continued to give the people of Ago Iwoye courage to continue to trespass on Oru land such that they are even mounting signboard bearing Ago Iwoye on Oru land.
The community leader talked about how Ago Iwoye people allegedly built market, gas plant
within the only secondary school the town has saying that the provocation was becoming unbearable for the people of Oru community.
He disclosed further that even though the community had tried to resolve the land boundary dispute with Ebumawe of Ago Iwoye, Oba AbdulRasak Adenugba, there had been no positive result for such endeavours
Elder Adepitan said “we hereby use this medium to plead with Gov Dapo Abiodun to assist with the implementation of the reports of these boundary dispute commissions. We don’t want another Ife/Modakeke situation. The silence of the government in the face of this unwarranted provocation is like a keg of gun powder that can explode any time. We really pray Gov Dapo Abiodun will rise to this occasion and help put this behind us”.
“The governor should give directive to the Surv. General to erect survey pillars on the judgement boundary as recommended by Osibodu Boundary Settlement Commission, the Ogun State Boundary Dispute Appeal Tribunal as decreed by ‘Order of Mandamus’ by Justice Somolu on April 6, 1994 as well as in compliance with Ogun State government gazette of January 13, 1994..”