Tension in Ekiti as 76-yr-old land dispute risks resurgence

TENSION is brewing in Ise, Orun and Emure communities in Ekiti State following allegations of encroachment inland in dispute in the area, raised by one of the communities.

Following this, the Ekiti State government has appealed to the people of Ise, Orun and Emure communities to allow for a peaceful resolution of the 76-year-old boundary dispute among them.

Chief Egbeyemi had met with representatives of the communities, including monarchs, Chiefs and leaders of the three towns consequent upon a petition filed by the Orun community alongside other documents, in which it alleged encroachment by Ise and Emure.

At the meeting on Thursday, Chief Egbeyemi appealed to the people to allow for a peaceful resolution of the dispute and shun violence.

A statement by the media aide of the Deputy Governor, Mr Odunayo Ogunmola said the meeting was attended by the Arinjale of Ise, Oba Adetunji Ajayi; the Elemure of Emure, Oba Emmanuel Adebayo and the Olowuro of Orun, Oba Aderounmu Adewumi.

Egbeyemi, who expressed surprise that the boundary dispute which erupted in 1942 during the colonial administration was allowed to fester for such a long time, stressed that government would not allow the situation to degenerate into violence.

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Describing the three neighbouring communities as “brothers”, Egbeyemi assured that the dispute would be amicably resolved by the Kayode Fayemi administration.

The deputy governor urged the people of the three communities to allow the state government and the state’s Boundary Commission to mediate and arrive at an acceptable solution within a reasonable length of time.

Egbeyemi said: “Allowing this type of dispute to fester for too long is not good because we have eminent citizens in the three communities, who are qualified to settle this matter.

“You are too close to be fighting and this may turn your children and people against themselves and that is what we want to prevent.”

The meeting was adjourned to March 5, 2019, for Ise and Emure communities to present their defence as well as documents on the allegations raised by Orun community.

In another development, Egbeyemi had promised that the state government would look into the case of 17 traditional rulers who are protesting against a recent grading exercise carried out by the Ayo Fayose administration.

Presenting their petition before the deputy governor, the monarchs, who were led by the Onigogo of Igogo-Ekiti, Oba Sunday Adewumi, alleged injustice in the last administration’s grading exercise.

The Onigogo revealed that the 17 aggrieved Obas were placed in Grade B during a similar exercise conducted in 1999 saying “it was unjust for the last administration to upgrade some monarchs with whom they were on the same grade to Grade A.”

Oba Adewumi said: “We want to appeal to you because your administration has a listening ear and we want to channel our grievances to you for you to note it and you should passionately look into it.”