June 19, (THEWILL) – Residents of four communities, including Keesan Orile, Ilogun Orile, Tibo, and Olorunda, in Ogun State, have protested against the land incursion act of their monarch, the Orunda of Olorunda, Ọba Phillips Segun Ogunshola.
The protesters, who stormed the Abeokuta North Local Government Secretariat, Akomoje, in the early hours of Wednesday in large numbers, accused the traditional ruler of being greedy over his alleged encroachment into an expansive land of a proposed market in Olorunda.
The demonstrators carried placards with various inscriptions such as “We always crave development but hate cheating”, “Always listen to our side before taking any action on Olorunda matters”, and “Withdraw the letter of authority given to the Coronet Oba on our land”, calling on the Local Government authority for quick intervention.
Giving his address during the protest, the Akogun of Keesan Orile, High Chief Akinbode Abegunrin, said the people of the four communities detested the land incursion by the monarch, noting that they would do everything possible to stop him from invading the land.
Abegunrin said, “We did not expect Abeokuta North LG Authority to take sides by issuing a letter of authority to the Coronet King on our land, which was proposed for a market.” He also said the land in question belongs to the communities and not the LG or the Crown. It was proposed for market use; we won’t allow the Crown King to use the LG Authority to snatch our land.”
Yemi Abegunrin, a youth leader of one of the communities, explained that the traditional ruler, the vice chairman of the LG, Hon. Egbeyemi, and some senior officers of the LG, met with the people of the communities on how to resolve the land matter but were surprised when they saw the surveyors on the land claiming they had been authorised by the council to take over the land.
“After the addresses, they promised to call both parties together, but to their surprise, they saw that the produce (melons) planted on the land were destroyed by some people working for the Coronet King. Only then did they see the Coronet King bringing to survey the land, claiming an authorisation letter had been issued to him by Abeokuta North Local Government.
“As I speak, his people are there doing one thing or another on the land. He is bragging that he has gotten the letter of authorisation from the LG to do so. This really surprised us, as the LG during the talks held on the land pledged to meet both parties again”, he noted
Addressing the protesters alongside other senior officers of the Abeokuta North Local Government on behalf of the Chairman, Hon. Lanre Oyegbola-Sodipo, Secretary to the Council, Engr. Mutiat Agbaje enjoined the protesters to continue being law-abiding.
She stressed that all their grievances would be passed across to the council Chairman, insisting that the council had not issued a letter of authorisation over the land to the monarch.
Corroborating that the LG had not issued a letter of authorisation, one of the senior officers of the LG said she was part of the team from the LG that visited Olorunda during the recent meeting between the people of the communities, LG, and the Coronet King.
Meanwhile, a letter sighted by our reporter, dated June 13, 2023, addressed to the Coronet King, Oba Philip Segun Ogunshola, with reference number ANLG4/126A and the heading “Renovation of Olorunda Market”, was signed by the Head of the Local Government Administration (HOLGA), Mrs Kikelomo M. Ajayi, on behalf of the Executive Chairman, and copied to the Divisional Police Officer, Imala Police Station, Area Commander, Zone 2, had two different signatures with the same name of the HOLGA.
