Ondo State residents in Ijaw and Akoko towns took to the streets on Thursday to protest the creation of 33 additional local council development areas (LCDAs).
According to Gistlover, the Ondo State government sent a bill to the state House of Assembly regarding the creation of 33 additional LCDAs from the existing 18 local government areas.
However, the government’s decision did not sit well with leaders of the Ijaw and Akoko groups, who accused the government of attempting to sell away their ancestral territory through the procedure during a public hearing on the bill on Thursday.
However, the angry Ijaw and Akoko leader handed the government a 21-day deadline to rescind the claimed surrender of the territories to Irele and Ilaje local governments.
During the demonstration at the state House of Assembly, some of their traditional rulers, like Sunday Amiseghan, the Kalasuwei of Apoi land, and Pere Egbunu, the Agadagba of Arogbo-Ijaw, urged the state government to reverse its decision because it unfairly disadvantages their people in the state.
They stated that rather than ceding parts of their communities in Ese-Odo Local Government Area to other areas, Ese-Odo should be divided into multiple LCDAs.
During the demonstration, Kalasuwei of Apoi land, Sunday Amiseghan, told reporters, “We are the only non-Yoruba speaking people in Ondo State.” We are prepared to fight for our cultural and traditional identities.
“We are making our observations regarding the creation of LCDAs. The Ijaws have been marginalised a long time ago in Ondo State.
“We are special people in Ondo State because we have bitumen and abundant oil. We should be given special condition. We demand for more LCDAs in Ese-Odo. We will never concede one inch of our land to either Ilaje or Ikale. The Ondo State Government must withdraw that map.”
In a similar manner Bonsuwei Ominidouha, Chairman of the Ondo branch of the Ijaw National Congress, stated that “We are a peace loving people. We are calling on the Ondo State government to stop the nonsense. INC will fight the course to make sure that one inch of our land will not be ceded.
“The whole of Okparama 1 and II and Ogidigba are ceded to Ilaje. Part of Apoi 4 and 5 are ceded to Irele Local Government. We do not want to fight with anybody. It was failure of leadership that led to the Ijaw/Ilaje crisis, and we do not want a repeat of that war.”
However, in their answer, lawmakers pledged justice after hearing from groups and worried citizens.
The state government had previously asked for calm, stating that nothing was official until the legislature finished its work.
