- Calls for completion of Ikere Dam

Elders in Oke Ogun area of Oyo State have called on the State Government led by Engineer Seyi Makinde to immediate enforce the anti-open grazing law promulgated in 2020 in the State.

This, the community said, was aimed at addressing insecurity in the region while calling on both the Federal and State governments to beef up security by equipping security agencies more.

The call was contained in a Communique issued by Oke Ogun Council of Elders (OCE) after its mid-year meeting held in Ibadan under the chairmanship of the council’s President, Otunba Bamidele Dada, former Minister of State for Agriculture and Water Resources.

The communique was signed by the Council’s spokesman, Comrade Jare Ajayi and made available to journalists on Sunday.

The Elders stated that in addition to herders/farmers’ clashes that are still occurring, influx of Fulanis from outside Nigeria has increased insecurity problem in the area as being manifested in kidnapping, raping, armed robbery cases.

They called on the government and security agencies to be firm in dealing with the situation, decrying the situation in which when farmers and herders have clashes, while security agencies, especially the Police, allegedly tend to take side with the herders.

"Instances abound in which when, for instance, a cow ate tubers or grains sprayed with chemicals in a farm and something happened to the cattle, the farmer would be forced to pay for the dead cow even when it was the cattle that came to the farm.

"In this respect, security agencies, especially the Police, are called upon to ensure fairness and justice in their handling of farmers/herders’ clashes."

The Elders Council noted with concern the strike action embarked upon by members of the Vigilante Group established by various local government councils in Oke Ogun as a result of imprecise remuneration and poor welfare.

It therefore urged the governments concerned to, as a matter of urgency, respond positively to the demands of the striking security personnel as their service is very critical.

The Oke Ogun Elders appealed to the government to take positive actions on the mining activities going on in the area with a view to ensuring that the local people benefit - unlike the present situation in which outsiders, including non-Nigerians, derive greater benefits through the illegal mining activities going on there.

They also called on the federal government to complete work on long-abandoned Ikere Gorge Dam.

They also asked the Oyo State Government to set up an Oke-Ogun Development Commission to redress the age-long marginalization of the area.

 

Meanwhile the statement noted that issues discussed at the meeting held by elders on Thursday include socio-economic condition, security and political situations as well as the general welfare of the people of Oke Ogun.

The Council took note of the alarm raised by the former Director of Military Intelligence and current Chairman of the Oyo State Security Network (Amotekun), General Kunle Togun (rtd) on the influx of foreign Fulani Bororo who seem bent on taking over many lands in Nigeria particularly in the South West.

Togun, for the umpteenth time, raised the alarm while delivering a paper titled ‘Security Challenges: ‘The Significance of Regional Security Dimensions,’ organised by the Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies (IPSS) Students’ Association, University of Ibadan not long ago.

His view was corroborated by the pioneer and current directors of the Institute, Professors Isaac Olawale Albert and Tajudeen Akanji.

The Oke-Ogun Elders expressed serious concern on this matter because the region, which they represent, is one of the focal areas that the foreign marauders are using as entry point into Nigeria.

The Council also took note of incidents of kidnapping for ransom largely being perpetrated by suspected Fulani terrorists.

Various steps being taken to confront the security challenges were also considered.