An Osogbo indigenous group, Osogbo Development Action Group, ODAG, has urged Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke to warn the Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Lawal to stop his expansionist agenda in the State to forestall crisis.
It added that the present activities of the monarch implies that Governor Adeleke is abusing his position as the governor to lord Ede over other towns in the state by encroaching on their lands including Osogbo and Olorunda LGAs.
The group in a statement issued by its Coordinator and Secretary, Ajani Lukman and Oladejo Shuaibu to newsmen on Thursday, stated that the expansionist activities and utterances of the traditional ruler Olorunda and Osogbo local government boundaries is already creating tension in the areas.
The statement which was reacting to the documents circulating in the media containing survey plans, letters and invitation card to a purported Coronation Ceremony where Ede Monarch allegedly instructed Ajeniju of Hallelujah, Jelili Olaiya to overlord landmarks belonging to Osogbo and Olorunda LGAs and further describing same as Ede Land Areas in Egbedore LGA.
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It reads partly, “If this aggression by Timi of Ede is not curtailed on time and the areas become prone to security threats, it would not do the state any good and would appear as if the governor is abusing his position as the governor to lord Ede over other towns in the state by encroaching on their lands including Osogbo and Olorunda LGAs.
“It should be carefully noted that Ede, with its distasteful history of land grabbing tendencies around border areas, needed to come off it as the society has outgrown the archaic era of wars and conquests over lands.
“It is therefore our candid resolve to invite the government of the Osun State to avert the looming crisis among many towns and communities sharing boundaries with Ede by urgently taking direct the Timi of Ede to immediately cancel the proposed but highly controversial Coronation Ceremony of Ajeniju of Hallelujah scheduled for August 30th, 2024 for the sake of peace and tranquility. It’s totally absurd for a Timi’s appointed Chief to overlord on Osogbo land. It is audaciously laughable for a Timi to claim ownership of a place like Agunbelewo and other places in that axis which have never been a subject of dispute”.