The Oyo State Government, through the Chairman State Technical Committee on Boundary Dispute Resolution, Surveyor Alaba Abiodun has urged people in Ogburo, Lagelu Local Government and Olowosokedile, Surulere Local Government areas to maintain peace as the two community leaders asked National Boundary Commission (NBC) to deliver judgement on disputed boundary areas in the State.
Surveyor Alaba Abiodun made this known during a town Hall meeting with representatives of border communities in Oyo State.
He said the National Boundary Commission (NBC) had earlier said the two states should maintain status quo, saying that, Osun people did not follow the directives of the NBC, adding that they kept on intruding the land within Oyo State boundaries and shooting villagers living along the boundary communities in the State.
He said “there was a case when a politician from Surulere Local Government constructed a building for a purpose on Oyo State land, Osun State Government forcefully took over the building and named it the Headquarters of an “LCDA”.
The Surveyor General enjoined community leaders in the two boundary areas to maintain peace, urging them to talk to their youth not to foment any trouble pending the judgment from the National Boundary Commission.
In his remarks, the Director General, National Boundary Commission, Surveyor Adamu Idaji who was represented by the Director of Research and Policy Analysis, Mr. Femi Oshinaike said the visit was designed to sensitize and enlighten members of the affected communities on the boundary alignment and also to articulate their views toward finding common ground preparatory for field visit and physical demarcation of the boundary.
Adaji said “the National Boundary Commission consider this meeting as an opportunity to assess our collective efforts, discuss pertinent issues on the interstate boundaries with a view to advancing the course of demarcation between Oyo/Osun interstate boundary, it has devised new approach to interface directly with the affected border communities of Oloko, Iro, Aba-Wale, Olowosokedile, Paba, Ilosin and Ogburo in Lagelu, Ogooluwa and Surulere Local Government areas of Oyo State sharing interstate boundary with Os un State, it is our believe that these communities are at the receiving end of crisis arising from boundary disputes with their counterparts from Osun State.”
He added that the National Boundary Commission would resolve the interstate boundary dispute so as to engage the youths in constructive rather than destructive and effectively seal off security risk along the common boundary.
He urged stakeholders in the State to think about the welfare and development of people in these areas by means of separating politics from sentiments.
In their separate remarks, the Chairman, Surulere Local Government, Hon. Isaiah Adegbite alongside the Chairman, Lagelu Local Government. Mr. Kazeem Gbadamosi and the community leaders charged National Boundary Commission to urgently demarcate boundaries between the two States for peace to reign.
