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Crisis looms as Osogbo, Ede renew claims of ownership of state secretariat complex

Osun state secretariat complex

There is an internecine war gradually brewing in Osun as the age long boundary dispute between the people of Osogbo the state capital and neighbouring Ede town has been reopened.
NPO Reports gathered that since the swearing in of Governor Ademola Adeleke, some people in Ede especially those at the boundary areas have been squaring up and bracing for a battle to reclaim the entire areas of the land occupied by the state secretariat complex.
It was also gathered (but could not be confirmed as at press time) that some officials of the government have been surreptitiously indicating the need to change government official communication channels such as the letter headed papers of their ministries by changing “Abere Osogbo” to “Abere Ede.”

In 2017, a group called Osogbo Descendants Association protested claims that Abere belongs Ede

The petition by Coordinators of the ODAG, Ghasali Daud and Secretary, Badru Asimiyu, protested in the petition that the land belonged to Osogbo Local Government.

The petition read in part, “The area now refer to as Abere is part of Oke-Osun Osogbo Farm Settlement and up to the late 1990s, the junction directly opposite the Osun State Secretariat was known as ” Iyana Abere” meaning junction leading to Abere.

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” We have to state categorically that the location reported as Ede North Local Government falls under Osogbo Local Government and should be corrected immediately.

“The 2010 judgment of Census Tribunal ordered that the 2006 census result of that area should be added to Osogbo Local Government population figure. Till date, Ede North Local Government has never gone to appeal the judgment.
” If the place is part of Ede North Local Government, the Census Tribunal would not give a judgment that the population of that area, the Osun State Secretariat up to Police Zone XI Headquarters and its environs should be counted as part of Osogbo Local Government population.”
While Government communications had referred Abere as Osogbo.
The traditional ruler of Abere, the Alabere of Abere Oba Karimu Sanusi, had insisted Abere is part of Ede, saying it had never been part of Osogbo.
The complications are further entrenched by the fact that the consenting authority for the stool of Alabere is not the Ataoja of Osogbo but the Timi of Ede.

Shortly before the election that brought in Governor Adeleke last year, was quoted to have made a statement which many Osogbo indigenes considered an indication of his position on the Ede-Osogbo land dispute.
The Osogbo Development Action Group had accused Adeleke of saying that if elected, he would not reclaim the “Ede land” allegedly “usurped” by Osogbo.
The comment was said to have gingered Osogbo groups to hold an emergency meeting to challenge the then gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.
ODAG warned that Osogbo would not trade any of her territorial heritages or any of her neighbouring communities under whatever guise.

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There have been many years of acrimony some of these leading to loss of lives on both sides. About August 2013, some youths suspected to be from Ede had beaten up a commissioner under the administration of then Governor Rauf Aregbesola at the venue of the launch of the Omoluabi Garment Factory. The factory, located about one kilometre from the main gate of the Osun State secretariat, was said to be on a land belonging to Ede. But the angry youths who had accused the Commissioner of making reference to the location as Osogbo, got the beating of his life before he was rescued by security agents. NPO Reports gathered that residents of areas around the state secretariat are living in fears of possible return of hostilities which might result to loss of lives. In the past, indigenes of both Osogbo and Ede had engaged in war of sign posts by demolishing signs that each believed made claims over ownership of the disputed areas.

Hon. Taofeek Latona, who is the Chairman, Osogbo Solidarity Assembly, said in a statement that Osun Secretariat, Abere Falls Under Osogbo Local Government and not Ede North Local Government Area of the state.
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As concerned and legitimate sons and daughters of Osogbo, we are not unawares of subtle moves of the people of Ede, in recent time, to take over ownership of Abere from Osogbo, the genuine owners of the area.

The provocative move began some weeks ago when a number of correspondences of the state government of Osun left out Osogbo in the official letterheads.

Until the inauguration of Governor Ademola Adeleke, the state secretariat was and formally addressed as Abere, Osogbo. But today, it is Abere, without Osogbo.

When this mischief was first enlivened, we looked away, trusting that the new Government under the leadership of Senator Ademola Adeleke, would allow the sleeping dog lie despite the rumour that the emerging confrontation was part of his campaign messages and promises to his people in Ede.

However, the current video in circulation, of a purported Iyalode of Abere, Mrs Mujidat Olaniyi, where she was captured “transferring” ownership of the land where the state secretariat is situated to the people of Ede, has confirmed our fear. Our fear that the ploy to steal our ancestral land has the imprimatur of the state government.

Recall, the area now referred to as Abere was part of Oke-Osun Osogbo Farm Settlement and up to the late 1990s, the junction directly opposite the Osun State Secretariat was known as “Iyana Abere”-meaning a junction leading to Abere.

We insist: the land over which the Osun State Government Secretariat lies belongs to the people of Osogbo. The land was acquired from us by the government of the defunct Western Region, for the purpose of farming, after due compensation was paid.

The 2010 judgement of the Census Tribunal corroborates our claim. The Tribunal ordered then that the 2006 census result of the disputed area be added to Osogbo Local Government population figure. And as we speak, there is no available record to prove that Ede North Local Government appealed the judgement.

The implication of the foregoing is that if the place is part of Ede North Local Government, the Census Tribunal would not have given a judgement that the population of that area (the Osun State Secretariat up to Police Zone XI Headquarters and its environments) be counted as part of Osogbo Local Government population.

It’s interesting to tell members of the public that the people of Osogbo are in possession of court judgements and administrative pronouncements, dated back to colonial period, to support our claims of the land.

For this reason, we would not fold our arms while what belongs to us is taken away. We will fight it, even if it costs us our blood.

The resolve of some people in the Government of Governor Adeleke to use instrument of authority to claim ownership of Abere for Ede, after several court judgements had pronounced otherwise, is a flagrant disregard to the rule of law and an attempt to cause communal crisis, the consequences of which may be to heavy to bear for all parties involved

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