Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
A youth based organisation in Iperu, Ogun East Senatorial district is claiming that the land allocated to the proposed Gateway Agro Cargo Airport, Ilishan, Ogun State, belonged to Iperu community and not Ilisan.
The group under the aegis of Iperu Youth Development Association, claimed that the land acquired for the project cuts across Iperu, Ilara, and Ilishan, stressing however, that almost 85% of the acquired land by the then executive governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, belongs to Iperu community.
The Daily Crucible had earlier reported that Governor Dapo Abiodun, the Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako - Oyedele, some members of his cabinet and members of the Senate Committee on Aviation led by Senator Smart Adeyemi (Kogi West) visited the Agro Cargo Airport proposed site on Friday.
The tour of the proposed site came hours after Governor Abiodun had disclosed that his administration would continue with the plan to construct the airport in the state.
Abiodun told the Senate Committee in Abeokuta that the agro-cargo airport project, conceptualized by the Otunba Gbenga Daniel administration in 2007, has lots of potentials in the overall development of the Gateway State state and the country.
The governor maintained that the people of the state entrusted his administration with qualitative representation to create the enabling environment for a public private sector partnership, which is fundamental to the creation of an enduring Economic Development and individual
According to him, the decision to continue with the agro- airport project, located in Ilishan-Remo in Ogun East Senatorial District, was made by the state's joint inter-ministerial committee, which evaluated and placed priority on it as against the Ewekoro passenger airport.
He also noted that a lot of verifiable work had started on the agro-cargo airport project, which had the approval of the federal Ministry of Transportation and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
But the group from one of the critical stakeholder - communities, are kicking against alleged plan by Dapo Abiodun - led administration to cede the project site identity to Ilishan community rather than Iperu Community.
The group, in a release made available to our Reporter on Sunday, reckoned it as a "big blow" on their faces that after they have sacrificed all the land towards the airport project to the state, it is now being credited to a community that did not have up to 15% of the land acquired for it.
In the release signed by Comrade Azeez Akinbowale, the group expressed their disappointment and annoyance "with the unprofessional display by the Governor's Media Aide, addressing and bewildering the general public, through Facebook page that the land belongs to Ilishan for some interest best known to them."
They urged the information handlers in respect of the project to be more cautious and avoid pushing out materials that could create communal strife and unrest over the location and identity of the project in favour of Ilishan community.
The release in full:
It has come to our notice and attention, the politics peddling around on the ceding of the project execution of the Gateway Cargo Airport to Ilishan community rather than Iperu Community.
We sincerely appreciate the then Executive Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel for this great initiative then in 2007 when the project was pictured.
Our gratitude will not be completed without commending the efforts of the present Executive Governor of Ogun State, His Excellency, Prince Dr. Dapo Abiodun, placing more priority in execution of the Gateway Cargo Airport during his tenure. You are true definition of leadership. We sincerely appreciate you sir.
For the sake of peaceful coexistence we have enjoyed for long in Remo land, it would be more important addressing this cogent issue that is about to cause unhealthy rivalry between the two communities, Iperu and Ilishan, respectively, before getting late by the leadership of this gateway state.
The Gateway Cargo Airport land belongs to Iperu community which was owned by the Orubo community area in Iperu.
It's no doubt, the acquired land cuts across Iperu, Ilara, and Ilishan. For clarity sake, almost 85% of acquired land for the project execution by then executive governor of Ogun, Otunba Gbenga Daniel belongs to Iperu community.
This land was acquired from Isalu farm area, Iragbon farm area, Aromamu land, Orubo community down to Ugboti Maja, covering back of Ishanbi High School and part of Ilara, where Idena Magbon boundary with Ilara, down to back of the governor's house in Aromamu along Ode-Remo road, Iperu Remo.
This a big blow on our faces, after we have sacrificed all our land towards this developmental project to our dearest state now credited to a community that doesn't have up to 15% of land acquired for the project.
We are so disappointed, annoyed with the unprofessional display by the Governor's Media Aide, addressing and bewildering the general public, through Facebook page that the land belongs to Ilishan for some interest best known to them.
We encourage the page handler to desist in causing havoc or unrest in the Iperu-Ilishan, as more of professionalism is required of them, not to jettison the image of the governor.
In a judgment, in suit number HCS/123/2002, Ope Osu & others Vs Jonathan Famoriyo & others, by Hon Justice N.I. Saula, Judge of High Court of Ogun State, on 11th October 2011, that ruled and made it clear that the site location belongs to Orubo community in Iperu.
It is very important to the Media Aides stop all this to avoid communal strife and unrest over the location and Identity of the project in favour of Ilishan community.
We call on all media houses, both conventional and unconventional media outfits, on the importance of getting things right and not let some unscrupulous and unprogressive men dent the professionalism of news reportage, that lies on truth and objectivity.
As a matter of urgency, we call on all concerned stakeholders, the Ogun State Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the state to look to take cognisance of this, before it brings more uproar, chaos among the communities affected.
Iperu community owns almost all the land. The status-quo should be reversed with immediate effect, thus the Gateway Cargo Airport Ilishan, shiuld rather be addressed as Gateway Cargo Airport Iperu. The major quantum of land belongs to Iperu community.
e-Signed:
Comrade Azeez AKINBOWALE
For Iperu Youth Development Association
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