Oyo, Ogun move to end lingering boundary disputes

THE Oyo and Ogun State governments on Thursday resolved to set up a 14-man technical committee to look into the lingering boundary disputes involving some communities of the two states.

The committee to be headed by Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice of Oyo State, Mr Seun Abimbola is mandated to recommend solutions to the boundary dispute between Ijio settlement, Iwajowa local government of Oyo state and Moriwi community, Imeko-Afon local government of Ogun state.

Another bone of contention is the long drawn battle over Bakatari and Eleso boundary villages between Ido local government, Oyo State and Odeda local government, Ogun State.

Also up for consideration is the boundary dispute between Ibarapa Central local government area, Oyo State and Abeokuta North local government, Ogun state over Bansa.

The two state governments led by their deputy governors, Mr Moses Adeyemo of Oyo and Mrs Yetunde Onanuga of Ogun, reached this decision to set up a technical committee, at Western Hall, Secretariat, Ibadan, after advancing their cases on the disputed matter.

Laying claim to the resolutions of the 1996 declaration of a joint consultative committee on the matter, the Oyo state government argued that Bakatari, Eleso, Arigbede and surrounding villages had been declared to be in Oyo state.

Speaking, Adeyemo said the resolution had not been implemented due to the failure of the joint survey team of the federal government and the two states to properly demarcate and survey the entire boundaries of the two states.

He also noted the need to enlighten border communities of Iwajowa, Imeko-Afon and Ibarapa central local governments on the need to maintain peace until physical demarcation, tracing and reestablishment of beacons, supervised by the National Boundary Commission, is done.

Onanuga, in her presentation, noted instances of encroachment of settlements like Moriwi, Oke-Agbede, Wasinmi and felling of trees within Odugbe forest reserve, Ogun State.

Onanuga also argued that the settlements of Bakatari and Eleso were boundary villages which fell partly within Ogun and Oyo states.

She also pointed to illegal mining activities, attacks, incursion on Ilugun local development area of Ogun State as areas of dispute that had to be resolved.

However, the two state governments urged persons living in the disputed border communities to eschew violence and maintain peace.

Secretary to the Oyo State government, Mr Olalekan Alli, who read the resolution of the meeting, urged law enforcement agents to be impartial and enforce peace and order in the affected communities.

The committee with a three-month mandate to turn in its recommendations also has as members the Attorney General of Ogun State, surveyors general of the two states, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of local government of Oyo and Ogun, Chairmen of the affected local government areas, Senior Special Assistant Boundary Matters to the Ogun state governor.