Osogbo, Ede Land Dispute: Group cautions Journalists on balance reportage

A group comprising of youths, The Osogbo Development Action Group, ODAG has cautioned journalists practicing in Osun State to always balance their reports and avoid distortion of facts, especially on the age-long land dispute between Osogbo and Ede communities.   

Our Osun State Correspondent reports that the group made the appeal in Osogbo via a press statement signed by its Coordinator and Secretary, Mr. Gasali Daud and Mr. Badru Asimiyu respectively.

They frowned at the manner a section of the media reported that Abere at Oke-Pupa area is in Ede North Local Government, whereas it is under Osogbo Local Government.

ODAG said the people of Osogbo were not comfortable with the way some media organizations reported the recent needless protest in front of the Osun State Secretariat by some disgruntled elements from the Abere Community, Ede.

The statement said inter-alia, “We frown at the distortion of fact by those reporters that referred to Oke-Pupa area as Ede North Local Government. We therefore wish to state clearly now that the place where the Osun State Secretariat was sited is under Osogbo Local Government.  ODAG also wishes to call the attention of the general public to note that the place called Abere is wrongly addressed as Abere and that Abere is a village in Ede that is about 4km away from the Osun State Government Secretariat.”

While noting that the area that some people now refer to as Abere is actually a part of the Oke-Osun Osogbo Farm settlement up to the late 90's, ODAG said the land in contention had been acquired by the government of the Western Region with available evidence of compensations paid to the true owners of the land who are all Osogbo indigenes.

The group lauded the state government for taking the giant step of removing all the illegal structures and buildings that are erected in the land that was acquired from the Osogbo community for public purpose.

 “We also wish to refer the media to the 2010 judgement of the census tribunal which ordered that the 2006 census result of that disputed area should be added to Osogbo Local government. Ede North Local Government did not go to court to appeal that decision then”, the statement added.

The group called on the security agencies to arrest the member representing Ede North Local Government in the Osun State House of Assembly, Mr. Debo Kamardeen and Chairman Abere Community, Mr. Eniola Kasali, for interrogation on their roles in the manhandling of Director General of Osun State Capital Territory Development Authority, Dr. Hazzan Maruf.

Dr. Hazzan

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