The Senator representing Ogun-East and former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel on Friday insisted that having a new state from the Old Ijebu Province comprising of Remo and Ijebu divisions might not be a tea party but it is long overdue and doable.
Daniel said that the opportunity had once presented itself 28 years ago but it was bungled due to some irreconcilable differences between the two divisions of Remo and Abeokuta.
The Senator said that the people of Remo and Ijebu must therefore seize the current opportunity to galvanise, forge a common front and avoid any distractions and divisive tendencies that could hinder the fruition of the dream.
Otunba Daniel disclosed this on Friday at a stakeholders meeting held at the palace of Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Adewale Ajayi in Sagamu.
Daniel said that he has the option of staying away to dodge the unnecessary crisis trailing the desire to create a new state from old Ijebu Province but he would rather like late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, courageously pursued his convinction that the creation of the new state will enhance and accelerate the socio-economic development of Ogun East Senatorial District.
He said “Our late Sage, Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo had his own fair share of experience while at the crossroads of choosing between what he considered right and doing nothing.
“The path of honour he chose was to follow his convictions without minding the mundane sentiments and criticisms.
“Pa Awolowo, we were told, thought the people of Ikenne drinking from Uren River was unhealthy and he decided to bring pipe borne water to the community but the people, we gathered, refused to drink the tap water because some people tried to exploit their ignorance to say there were too many chemicals in the water.
He said that the free education policy of Chief Awolowo was also misconstrued to be plans to take away the children from helping their parents on the farms.
Daniel said that decades later, “The policy has proven to be the most futuristic development policy ever embarked upon by any political leader or administration, not only in Nigeria, but arguably in the whole of Africa, if not in the entire world having given
the people of the South-West the competitive edge in civilization that we have today”.
The Senator said that the government of President Bola Tinubu has also been faced with lots of criticism for taking bold and courageous moves that are pivotal to revamping the economy and put the country in a better shape.
Daniel said that as someone whose father is from Remoland and mother from Ijebuland, he remains a bridge builder towards ensuring that a new State is created from the old Ijebu Province for the shared prosperity of all.
Meanwhile, in a communique read by the Baamofin of Remoland, Barr Bayo Onafuwa, the stakeholders including the traditional rulers from both Remo and Ijebu divisions agreed for the composition of seven-man committee each for the two divisions.
Onafuwa said that these committees are to work with their respective paramount rulers to fine tune the discussion on the state creation.
He said that “Their terms of reference are to determine the name of the new state to be created from the old Ijebu Province, determine the location of the capital, the local government structures and they are to submit their report within the next one month”.
