Hundreds of Remo indigenes stormed the Ogun State House of Assembly complex yesterday to protest the attempt by Governor Ibikunle Amosun to cede their agrarian community of Orile-Oko to Obafemi Owode Local Government (Egba, Ogun Central) in his proposed new Local Government Council Development Areas (LCDA).
The protest, which was led by the son of the late popular activist, Segun Okeowo of the ‘Ali Must Go’ fame, Kayode Okeowo, said Orile-Oko is their land and should not be allowed to go to the Egba in the name of LCDA creation.
Remo traditional rulers under the leadership of the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Adeniyi Sonariwo, are said to have also petitioned the lawmakers on the same issue.
The protesters bearing placards with various inscriptions such as “Avoid war”; “Embrace peace”; “Orile-Oko belongs to Ogun East”; “Enough is enough, return Orile-Oko to her roots in Remoland”, among others, urged the governor and the lawmakers to respect their heritage, norm and culture.
The Atunluto of Remoland, Chief Pekun Awobona, said the protest was to whip up further support for the petitions earlier forwarded to the Assembly by the Remo Traditional Council.
Awobona appealed to the lawmakers not to accede to the governor’s request.
“We are here to give support to the petition that was submitted to the House by the Remo Obas. We are here to say that Orile-Oko totally belongs to Remo and that has been so for ages.
“Remo and Egba people have been cohabiting peacefully in Orile-Oko for ages. We have not had any quarrel, we live peacefully but Governor Amosun wants to create LCDAs, we thank him for this.
“But in doing that, we say ‘who goes to equity must go with clean hands’ and therefore Orile-Oko, which has been part of Remoland, has been excised and merged with Obafemi Owode Local Government.
“Some people who live in Orile-Oko are Remo people while others are Egba people the land totally belongs to Remo and ages have shown this.
“We have come to seek the assistance of the Speaker and his distinguished members. Orile-Oko is part of Remo, we are not ready to concede an inch or square of Orile-Oko,” Awobona said
Addressing the protesters, Speaker Suraj Adekunbi, who was flanked by Majority Leader Yinka Mafe promised to look into their agitations.