Ijebu State: Implementation Committee Proposes Ijebu-Ode as Capital
The implementation committee on the creation of Ijebu State says it has submitted a memorandum to the National Assembly Constitution Review Committee proposing Ijebu Ode as the state capital.
Otunba Chris Okunowo, the Chairman of the committee, disclosed this at a news conference in Ijebu Ode on Thursday .
Okunowo explained that the news conference was with the concurrence of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, all legislative stakeholders and sons and daughters of Ijebuland.
He stated that Ogun East Senatorial District was made up of the old Ijebu Province, the only Province in the 24 Provinces Colonial Nigeria yet to become a state.
He added that before the local government reform of 1976, Ijebu Province was made up of two divisions, Ijebu division and Remo division both having four local government areas with Ijebu having three and Remo had one.
” At present, Ijebu division of the old Ijebu Province has six six white Remo has three local government areas.
” On April 3, 2020 and later April 4, 2024, an expression of interest through letters jointly endorsed by Awujale and Akarigbo of Remoland, Adewale Ajayi were submitted to National Assembly requesting creation of Ijebu State.
” Unfortunately, after Dec. 17, 2024 stakeholders meeting which brought together representatives of both Ijebu and Remo divisions unanimously supporting the positions of the Paramount rulers on the joint memoranda submitted to National Assembly.
” The Remos enthusiasm for the previously accepted positions waned. The Ijebus , thanks to the leadership and motivation of the Awujale, continued the struggle.
” As soon as the National Assembly informed the nation that none of the expression of interest submitted by new state agitators met constitutional requirements .
” The implementation committee edited and enriched the earlier document for the creation of Ijebu State with Ijebu Ode as capital,” he said.
Okunowo noted that the proposed Ijebu State was richly blessed with enormous human and material resources.
The committee chairman appealed to the federal government, national assembly, state houses of assembly to support the people of Ijebuland to realise a state of their own.
” This is the part of Justice. This is the path of equity and only part of fairness.
” We remain believers in the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu,” he said.
In his submission at the news conference, Senator, representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Gbenga Daniel, noted that all locations had a right to self determination.
Daniel, former governor of Ogun State stated that his responsibility was to facilitate as much as possible the demands and the desires of the people he represented at the national assembly.
” And of course , the Ijebus having six out of nine local governments without any doubt is a clear majority , so there is no dilemma in representing what the majority of my people want .
” Having said that, minority will always have their say, but most times majority have there way . What is going on here is democracy
” If we are able to get two states , beautiful . Our job is to make sure that as much as possible , we unite all our people across the divide of the senatorial district.
Present at the news conference were Ijebu traditional rulers and other members of the Ijebu State Creation Committee,” he said.
