Ogun lawmakers seek NBC’s intervention on boundary issues with Oyo

Ogun State House of Assembly has again convened a meeting of concerned stakeholders, including government officials and residents of boundary communities in Odeda Local Government Area between the state and Oyo State, with an appeal to the National Boundary Commission (NBC) to expedite actions towards identifying the boundary points.

This was just as the Assembly extended an invitation to the state Commissioner of Police and the chairman, Odeda Local Government Area for a meeting scheduled for Wednesday May 7, for further engagement on the boundary issue.

The Majority Leader of the Assembly, Hon. Yusuf Sherif stated this during the meeting which had in attendance the representatives of the state Attorney General, Mr James Mafe, acting Surveyor-General, Bureau of Lands and Survey, Oladele Ewulo and other representatives from the border communities at the House of Assembly, Abeokuta.

Sherif, in company with the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Lateefat Ajayi as well as Honourables Lukman Adeleye, Dickson Awolaja, Seun Adesanya, Damilare Mohammed Bello and Adegoke Adeyanju, explained that the meeting was conveyed by the House as a follow-up to an earlier engagement held with members of the Oyo State House of Assembly as part of efforts to further gather additional facts and relevant supporting documents from all concerned parties in resolving the boundary-related matters between the two states.

The lawmakers, in their separate submissions, tasked the community members to embrace dialogue and ensure the submission of all relevant documents within record time to assist the Assembly in the discharge of its duties, stating that the Assembly will explore all avenues to engage the officials of the Oyo State government and the NBC, with a view to ensuring a seamless resolution of the matter.

In their submissions, Ewulo and representatives of Mr. Mafe, implored residents of the boundary communities to continue to abide by the rules of law in their engagements.

He also admonished them to submit all relevant documents, especially historical documents that could assist the Assenbly in the discharge of its duties.

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Earlier, the representatives from the communities, including the Oluwo of Ilugun, Chief Bashiru Faleke, Baale of Bakatari, Chief Ayinde Popoola, Akogun of Ilugun, Chief Kamorudeen Adeniran and the Baale of Abaka community, Chief Adenekan Olanrewaju, narrated the alleged invasion of residents from Ibarapa and Ido to forcefully acquire landed properties belonging to the state.

The people further disclosed that there were previous attempts to forcefully adjust the pillars erected by officials of the NBC at the points belonging to the state.

They sought the speedy intervention of the Assembly to curb the actions of residents of the neighbouring state which could lead to possible breakdown of law and order as there had been alleged cases of damaged houses and farmland in the past.