‘Bill seeking creation of Oke-Ogun State, insult to Ogbomoso’

Ogbomoso Recreation Club (ORC),  has described a draft bill for Oke-Ogun State presented to the House of Representatives by Hon. Wole Oke, Chairman of House Committee on Judiciary, and a member representing  Obokun/Oriade federal constituency, Osun.

In the draft bill, the content of which was made available to the press, an Oke-Ogun State, was proposed, made up of twelve (12) local government areas, including Olorunsogo, Irepo, Oorerelope, Ogbomosho North, Ogbomosho South, Saki-East, Saki-West, Atisbo, Itesiwaju, Iwajowa, Kajola and Iseyin. Iseyin was proposed as the State capital.

In a swift reaction, Ogbomoso Recreation Club in a statement signed by its President, Dr Akin Oladeji-Johnbrown, copies of which were made available to journalists on Wednesday said: “ORC as a social club for sons and daughters of Ogbomoso regards the proposed bill as lacking in depth and understanding of the political history of Ogbomoso land nay Oyo State.

“While the intention of the bill may be to give the supposed people of Oke-Ogun State economic and political autonomy, such intention should not be blurred with parochial mention of Iseyin as the State Capital and NOT  Ogbomoso. The inclusion of Ogbomoso in the proposed state is insulting and totally uncalled for.

“Ogbomoso has always been the capital of Osun Northwest in Old Oyo State and also the largest commercial city with the second highest GDP in the present Oyo state, with the requisite infrastructural facilities for a State capital far ahead of Iseyin town.

“Ogbomoso as an integral part of Oyo State is even big enough to be considered to stand as an entity on its own. The cultural and political leadership of Ogbomoso is therefore not in doubt.

“Therefore, listing Ogbomoso as a town in the proposed Oke Ogun State is very insulting and uncalled for.

“This statement is the initial reaction of ORC to the obnoxious bill as presented which we believe must have been drafted with weak and insufficient background information.

“The proposed bill should therefore be thrown into the bin without any further debate. Necessary actions will be taken to ensure that the proposal will not see the light of the day. Ogbomoso can only be State Capital if the proposed Oke-Ogun State is at all created, but not Iseyin.”