Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has said that the creation of a new state out of the old Ijebu Province in the present Ogun State is long overdue and achievable.
He made this declaration on Friday just as the Akarigbo and Paramount Ruler of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, called for a new beginning in the agitation “in an atmosphere of conviviality and brotherhood.”
The meeting is a follow-up to a similar meeting held at the palace of the Awujale of Ijebuland in December 2024.
He explained that the opportunity was lost for various reasons, failure of the stakeholders to come to an agreement on certain parameters.
The lawmaker said: “It is a known fact that creating a state out of the old Ijebu Province could have happened 28 years ago, but for various factors, we lost the opportunity. We lost the opportunity largely because we could not agree on certain things.
“Our people of Yoruba stock are considered one of the most sophisticated in Nigeria today, and arguably, our people of Ijebu and Remo fit in as one of the most educated, industrious and enterprising of the sub-ethnic division and we are proud of our heritage.
“It is incumbent on us all to call the attention of the various stakeholders of this country to the fact that the colonial administration created 24 provinces in 1923, over 100 years ago, and of these, it is only Ijebu and Abeokuta Provinces that have remained in one state post-independence, whereas some other provinces, in some cases, have even divided into two or even three states.
“You can imagine how much we have shortchanged ourselves in terms of development that others have made in the last 45 years because we have not been able to aggregate our opinions.”
He, therefore, urged all stakeholders to seize the opportunity to aggregate a collective conviction of having a new state from the old Ijebu Province.
The Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, in his remarks, said, “There is need to let bygones be bygones. We will achieve more together.”
He also appreciated the contribution and steps taken so far by the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, in his effort in ensuring the actualisation of the lofty idea.
The traditional ruler suggested the composition of a 7-man committee comprising each of the divisions to start work by addressing all concerns and presenting a generally acceptable position to advance the process of state creation.
He said, “The history of Ijebu and Remo people is no doubt long and checkered, but I have said repeatedly that we have so much in common than what separates us.
“The bottlenecks and stumbling blocks in creating a state are too striking for us to risk our fledgling relationship.
Today’s meeting should set out in detail the terms of reference for the committee and also set its expiration date.”
The Orimolusi of Ijebu Igbo, Oba Lawrence Adebajo who represented the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, said there must be an agreement between the two divisions for the actualisation of a new state creation
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