The Ijaw ethnic community residing in the Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State has issued a stern 21-day ultimatum to the Ondo state government, demanding an immediate reversal of the decision to cede their ancestral land to neighboring Irele and Ilaje Local Government Areas within the newly established Local Councils Development Areas (LCDAs).
Led by esteemed traditional rulers including Prof. Sunday Adejimola Amiseghan, the Kalasuwei of Apoi land, and Pere Zaccheaus Doubra Egbunu, the Agadagba of Arogbo-Ijaw, the aggrieved Ijaw communities took to the streets of Akure in protest. Their demonstration coincided with a public hearing on the Bill for the Creation of LCDAs.
The heart of their discontent stems from the division of their territory, with portions of Ukparama 1 and II and Ogidigba being allocated to Ilaje, while sections of Apoi 4 and 5 were assigned to Irele Local Government. The Ijaw people, the sole non-Yoruba speaking community in Ondo State, consider this ceding as a direct assault on their cultural and traditional heritage, sparking anger and defiance.
Prof. Amiseghan, speaking at the Public Hearing, asserted their refusal to accept the appropriation of their ancestral land. He emphasized the importance of preserving their unique identity and heritage as well as their historic significance as custodians of bitumen and abundant oil resources in the region. The professor demanded the withdrawal of the proposed land allocation.
Pere Egbunu, represented by Bonsuwei Ominidouha, the Chairman of Ijaw National Congress in Ondo, vowed to stand against the ceding of their land, highlighting the desire for peaceful resolution and unity. The Ijaw/Ilaje crisis of the past was a painful reminder of the consequences of territorial disputes, and they are committed to preventing a recurrence.
The creation of a total of 33 LCDAs out of the existing 18 local government areas by Acting Governor Mr. Lucky Ayedatiwa, an Ilaje, has sparked this territorial dispute. Instead of creating new LCDAs within Ese-Odo, which is predominantly inhabited by the Ijaw ethnic group, the decision to divide their ancestral land between two Yoruba-speaking local government areas has ignited tension and demands for immediate corrective action.
