Oyo State Government has begun moves to settle a long-standing boundary dispute involving 12 Local Government Areas of the state.
The local governments concerned with disputed areas include Ibadan South West and Oluyole Local Government Areas; Oyo East and Afijio Local Government Areas; Kajola and Iwajowa Local Government Areas; Akinyele and Afijio Local Government Areas; Saki West and Atisbo Local Government Areas; Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa East Local Government Areas; and Agbaa and Oko communities in Surulere Local Government Areas.
The peace meeting involving representatives from the 12 council areas, held at the Mediation Center, Ministry of Justice, and Secretariat in Ibadan, was convened by the government.
The state Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, who also doubles as the Chairman of the Boundary Committee, admonished the stakeholders in the concerned council areas to desist from causing trouble in their respective communities, based on the judgment given regarding their various disputes.
A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, in Ibadan, the state capital, on Saturday, said the interstate boundary dispute and inter-boundary dispute needed to be solved amicably, as every responsible government would always want to prevent violence, massacre, and bloodshed.
He said the establishment of the committee was constitutional and legally binding.
Lawal said, “The disputes between Ibadan South West and Oluyole Local Government Areas, Akinyele and Afijio Local Government Areas were adjourned respectively until the next boundary meeting, which will be communicated to all parties concerned.
“The committee adopted judgments from the High Court and Appeal Court for the boundary dispute between Kajola and Iwajowa Local Government Areas, while Oyo East and Afijio Local Government Areas were informed that they should expect a verdict regarding their cases.
“The committee still needs more legal documents and evidence from the two parties regarding the dispute between Saki West and Atisbo local government areas.”
The chairman said the Surulere Local Government Chairman was asked to provide more updates and do follow-ups on the intra-local government boundary conflict.
The committee appealed to Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa East Local Governments to allow peace to reign, urging the Surveyor General of the state to escalate the matter by defining an administrative boundary (the boundary between local governments) apart from the town/village boundary.
During his observation at the meeting, Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Oyelade, said that peace is paramount to this administration, stressing that a government that set a record of 40 installations of Obas and Baales will not want peaceful communities to be disturbed by boundary strives.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Ademola Ojo implored concerned parties to accept rulings and mediation tactics employed by the committee for their cases.
Also, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Biodun Aikomo, assured the concerned local governments that the committee will conduct thorough investigations to establish a position aimed at delivering a fair and just resolution.