Slam Ondo militant threats
Eminent personalities and leaders of thought from various communities in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area led by the traditional ruler of Abigi, Oba Segun Ogunye and a former Vice Chancellor of Tai Solarin Federal University of Education, Prof Segun Awonusi have declared that the disputed oil rich Eba Island is unarguably a community located within Ogun State.
The leaders have equally condemned various wrong narratives being spurned by their neighbours from Ilaje Local Government in Ondo State as well as the threat issued by the ex-militant from the state that they will begin to attack the country’s major economic sources if the oil field is not ceded to the Ilaje people within the next 14 days.
They explained that all of these wrong claims that the Eba Island oil field belongs to the Ondo State are outright falsehoods that could not bear the weight of history and statutory documents, which undisputably and clearly established that the Island belongs to the people of Ogun Waterside Local Government.
Prof Awonusi, alongside Oba Ogunye, disclosed this while addressing the press on behalf of other indigenes of the local government on Sunday in Abeokuta
Other traditional rulers at the briefing include the Osobia of Makun Omi, Oba Kazeem Adeshina Salami, Oba Adekunle Hassan, Lenuwa of Ode Omi, Oba Bola Raimi, Alarige of Ibiade, Oba Obikoya Abidakun, Oloni of Oni, Oba Abimbola Mafe, Onisin of Ilusin, Oba Buari Balogun, Oniroku of Iroku as well as Prof Jumoke Bilesanmi-Awoderu, Iyalode of Ilusin among others.
It will be recalled that since last month, when Governor Dapo Abiodun announced the approval by President Bola Tinubu for the commencement of commercial oil drilling at Eba in Ogun Waterside LG, some residents of the neighbouring Ondo State communities have also been laying claim to the oil-rich island.
Awonusi said that it was sad to note that despite the empirical facts and well-established cognates by appropriate government agencies that the oil well is in Eba Island, which is in Ogun Waterside LG, some elements in the neighbouring community, particularly in Atijere, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, are laying spurious claims to the ownership of the Island.
He added that “Our Ilaje neighbours have also embarked on a campaign of calumny and dished out outright falsehood to the public, the latest being the threat by so-called “ex militant generals in Ilaje LGA to attack major sources of the economy of the country, if the oil well is not given to Ondo State within 14 days.”
“What an affront to our collective sensibilities! We therefore call on our security agencies to take appropriate actions to check the shenanigans by Ilaje people and their threat to our national economy and security”
Awonusi disclosed that there are indeed two separate “Eba Islands”, but the larger Eba Island, which has the oil field and was recently approved by President Tinubu for exploration, is in Ogun State, while there is a smaller Eba near the boundary with the Ondo State forest reserve.
Establishing the fact that the oil-rich island belongs to Ogun State, the former Commissioner for Education said that “There are Lease agreements, historical community records and survey documents, including the Olokola Free Trade Zone survey plan, that established and/or confirmed that Eba Island is part of Ogun State”
Awonusi added that the registered polling unit at the Local Government Primary School, Eba, under Makun/Irokun Ward created by the Independent National Electoral Commission, is under the local government, while over the years, the state government had maintained the primary school and paid the school staff salaries and other emoluments.
He stated that this is in addition to the fact that the state government had also conducted independent verification of the well’s coordinates using geospatial and cartographic technology, confirming the wells are within the state boundaries
The former VC described the information as contained in the recent motion sponsored by the member representing Ilaje Federal Constituency of Ondo State in the House of Representatives, Hon Donald Ojogo as incorrect, misleading, alarming and capable of causing communal crises between the Ijebu and Ilaje people who have over the years coexisted peacefully.
He explained that while some militants and Ilajes throw into public space out-dated and invalid documents such as Government Notices No 69 of 1919 and No.114 of 1920, a more recent Colonial document which is the Government Gazettee No 660 of 29th April, 1950 signed by the Acting Chief Secretary to the Colonial Government of Nigeria, H.F. Marshall clearly divided the boundaries of Ijebu and Ondo Provinces.
Awonusi said that “The document ipso facto declared invalid earlier documents purportedly giving impressions that part of Ijebu Province belonged to Ondo Province”.
Additionally, he explained that “there are recent lease agreements between some Ilaje Oba, Chiefs and people seeking for permission to use – albeit on a temporary basis and with payment of appropriate ‘isakole’ or ground rent to Ijebu land owners, part of our land for agricultural or commercial purposes.
“Such include the LEASE AGREEMENT between Mrs Victoria Talabi of Makun Omi in Ogun Waterside LGA and Mr BODE OROFIN of Atijere in Ilaje Ese Odo LGA and the “Iwe Adehun” between Edema Family of Atijere, Ondo State seeking use of the land from Makun Omi Community dated 27th February, 1975″.
In the face of these undisputed facts, among others, the indigenes strongly advised their Ilaje neighbours to stop the current aggressive media war, outright distortion of historical facts and campaign of calumny, and outright threat against the peace-loving people of the local government.
The leaders also called on the Federal Government and other stakeholders to help check every attempt and effort that could throw up the communities in the area into an avoidable crisis.
The leaders expressed their gratitude to President Tinubu for approving the commencement of commercial oil drilling in Eba Island as well as the support of Gov Abiodun, pledging to also always be there to support the present administration in its determined bid to further deepen economic prosperity across the country.
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