Asipa Kaoli Olatunji Olusanya, the Asipa of Ikorodu Kingdom, and Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lagos East Senatorial District, Deputy Apex Leader of APC in Ikorodu and the former Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, is the Chairman of the 8 – man Boundary Dispute Resolution Committee that looked into the boundary problems amongst three Council areas in Ikorodu Division.
The committee submitted its report few days ago at the apex meeting of the party held at Prince Abiodun Ogunleye’s Solomade house in lkorodu.
In this exclusive interview with Kunle Adelabu, Publisher/Reporter – in – Chief, THE IMPACT newspaper, held at his office at Kith & Kin Educational School (KKES), Owode in Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area of Ikorodu Division, Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, Asipa Olusanya bore his mind on the boundary issues and resolutions of his committee, APC revalidation/registration exercise, Ikorodu Security Trust Fund, attempt by the Lagos Assembly to reorganize the IBILE structure and infrastructural development among others. Excerpts:
THE IMPACT: You presided over the committee set up by the APC Apex body in lkorodu Division to look into the boundary issues between Ikorodu Local Government (LG) and Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA) on one hand, and the one between Ikorodu LG and Ijede LCDA on the other hand and also the one between Ijede LCDA and Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, and we are aware that a report was submitted during the week. How far has your committee gone on the matter?
Asipa Kaoli: There has been some skirmishes between some of our local governments about the clear demarcation and delineation of boundaries and wards and where there are overlaps in their boundaries.
Around November 2020, the National Population Commission (NPC) wrote a letter to the Lagos State Government informing the government about its preparation for 2021 area enumeration demarcation in preparation for census and it clearly stated that there will be boundary demarcation and delineation of Wards.
Subsequent to that, the State Ministry of Local Government & Communities Affairs also wrote to the Local Government informing them about the preparation to receive officials of the NPC and make all necessary documents available as well as the need to cooperate and facilitate the work of the Commission. All these documents were made available to the leadership of the APC apex body and when we first deliberated on it, we noted that there were some lingering issues that need to be resolved, particularly on clear demarcation of boundaries and demarcation of wards which have been generating some disputes among some of our councils, particularly between Ikorodu LG and Ijede LCDA in some areas; between Ijede LCDA and Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA in some areas and between Ikorodu LG and Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA in some areas.
On the 28th of December 2020, the apex body met and inaugurated a 8-man Boundary Dispute Resolution Committee and I was made the Chairman of that committee. Due to the critical importance of the assignment and of course, the preparation for the national census, we quickly gave rapt attention and commitment to the assignment between the 20th of December, 2020 and the first week in January 2021, we were able to complete the assignment and produced a draft report.
In the draft report, the method used in trying to solve the areas of conflicts was scientific. Scientific in the sense that we applied what can be described as a scientific enquiry method to answer the questions raised. What are the questions/problems? We identified the problems and they were clear. For instance, between Ijede and lgbogbo/Bayeku LCDAs, there were disputes over areas like Gintin, Igbe and Igbe Oloja.
Between Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA and Ikorodu LG, there are conflicts over Poro – Boge, Ewu Elepe and between Ijede LCDA and Ikorodu LG, there were disputes over areas like Igbodu, Gberigbe, Agura and others. Those were the problems.
After identifying the problems, what we did was to look at available gazettes, that is data collections and memoranda. Luckily, we found out that there were memoranda that were submitted as far back as 1984 and signed and agreed to by traditional rulers, eminent people in the community and all the Councilors in the 19 Wards. The document was signed by His Royal Majesty, Oba Salauden Oyefusi of Ikorodu, His Royal Majesty, Oba Johnson Fatola for Igbogbo, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ajibade Agoro for lmota and His Royal Majesty, Oba Fatai Oresanya for Ijede and also Chief B.O. Benson, SAN, the Asiwaju of Ikorodu and Mr Olorunfunmi Basorun (as he was identified then), Mr Olatunji Odusanya, mni, all the Councilors and Assembly members.
In that document, towns and villages that made up each identified Local Government, were clearly identified.
The bottom – line of the memoranda was asking for the breakup of Ikorodu Division into eight local governments by creating one local government and seven LCDAs. That was what they were asking for and in each of the local government, all the towns, villages and settlements were brilliantly identified.
Almost at the same time that traditional rulers and eminent personalities produced that memoranda, the political leaders at that time, led by late Alhaji Mufutau Ajisebutu, also raised a committee that produced another memorandum. That memoranda’s recommendations and outcomes are almost the same thing to that one produced by the traditional rulers and eminent persons by also asking for eight local governments and the demarcation and identifications of all those settlements and towns that made up of each of the identified local governments.
In 1993, the Federal Government created 20 Local Government in Lagos State when others too were created all over Nigeria and in that creation, Ikorodu LG was broken down into 19 Wards which is still in the constitution to today. What made up each of the 19 Wards were also clearly identified. We found that all the towns and villages mentioned were not different from what we found in memoranda submitted by the traditional rulers and political leaders.
In 2003, Lagos State created 20 Local Governments and 37 LCDAs and what they simply did was to lift what composed of LG and each of the LCDAs from the document l have mentioned. No addition or subtraction. Among all the documents that we are talking about, there was consistency in terms of what compose of each LCDA. There is no controversy at all.
However, when these disputes started among the councils in Ikorodu, we were wondering what could have started all that but it is not impossible because of developments. The use of geographical space has drastically changed. Land use has changed and areas that used to be bush are today developed into cities.
So, one will not be too far to say that what the Council Chairmen are looking at are internally generated revenue and resource allocation. They are trying to mobilise resources. That is the motivation behind all these and not as if they are not aware of the past records or where their boundaries are but rather, they are looking at the areas that they can mobilise resources.
After identifying the problems and looking at the data which we analysed, what we did was to look at the specific areas. There used to be seven Igbes but today, Igbe towns are more than seven. It is almost 11 or 12 today. Those areas that used to be bush and farmlands are today developed. All the seven Igbes and most of the Igbes belong to Igbogbo. But specifically, Igbe Ogunro, Igbe Degboro, Igbe Oloja belong to Ijede and there is no dispute about them. The Baale of Igbe Oloja was capped by late Oba Oresanya (the Alajede of Ijede) and his monthly pay is paid by the Ijede LCDA and there is a gazette presented to the committee in which the Lagos State Government said that this particular Igbe shall be ascribed and identified as part of Ijede. So, there is no dispute about Igbe Oloja. Even though there could be families in Igbe Oloja who by affinity belong to Ijede and Igbogbo and most of us are like that. Myself, Olusanya belongs to Igbogbo and Ikorodu. We are all related but that does not mean that we are not going to clearly identify where a settlement belongs. We were able to do it.
We also look at some areas where a village is mentioned in Ikorodu LG and Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA and that is Poro – Boge and we were also able to settle that. Of course, we all know Poro – Boge and where the family belongs and the role they are playing in the tradition and custom of Ikorodu. During the Eyibi festival, we know where they belong and play their roles. There is no dispute about that and we were able to resolve that too using their cultural affinity and customs and traditions to say that Poro – Boge should belong to Ikorodu because the family entity has a critical role to play during the Eyibi festival. On Gintin, there is no question that it belongs to Igbogbo.
Gberigbe, Agura and Igbodu have been part of Ikorodu and Ijede has nothing to do with that. Igbodu, Gberigbe, Orelade and Agura families are in Ikorodu. We were able to resolve all these and laid the matter to rest.
It was a very tough negotiation because each local government has motivation to generate internal revenue and have resource control but we tell them that we all belong to the same place and that we should not allow some other motives that could lead to disruption of peace that we are enjoying. It is easy to start a small fire but by the time that small fire becomes a conflagration, it will be out of control because it will consume the whole city and when we talk of boundaries, it is a sensitive matter because of its relation to tradition, custom and cultural affinities. There are also some natural features that our ancestors used in demarcating which are not going to be shifted because of any reason at all. We should just allow it to remain.
At the end of the day, we thank God that all the Council Chairmen were able to append their signatures on the agreement on the paper after we had presented it to the apex body. It has been fully adopted with small amendments.
I hope with that, the matter will be put to rest and we will have a document that would be there for generations to come and on that basis, let the government know that we have people in Ikorodu that can look into our problems and resolve same rather than going out of Ikorodu looking for solutions from people who has no idea and don’t understand our local dynamism to find solutions. On this basis, I thank the Council Chairmen for their cooperation and for sparing their time and contributions. It was a tough negotiation but at the end of the day, we were able to arrive at something.
THE IMPACT: Sir, considering that there have been interventions from the Surveyor General’s office, Lagos State House of Assembly and the Ministry of Local Government without resolution but your committee has been able to resolve the matter within a short period, will you suggest same approach to family disputes over lands that have led to invitation of Ajagungbales while many cases are left unresolved in court, as well as chieftaincy and other matters?
Asipa Kaoli: It’s just like the issue of security, it is best handled by stakeholders from within and not bringing people from outside who don’t even understand the issues involved at all. When you talk of surveying, a Surveyor would just come when you give him anywhere to surveyor and regardless of natural boundaries, cultures, customs and tradition, he will just do his work and possibly give it a name. He can even input a name that is strange to the people. He may just look at one landmark and use it as the name of the place which is wrong. That’s why when they went to the Surveyor General, of course they produced maps for them , but that does not bring any solution. And they also went to the Assembly which composed of people from different places and each of them busy with their primary assignments, whereas your problem is not a major assignment to them and your going to them suggest to them that you have been unable to find solution from leaders at home and based on the fact presented to them and depending on who can present his or her argument better, their judgment will be based on what is on the paper but to us, the issue are very clear because we are born and bred here, we know all the villages that we are talking about we know them because we are all related to the place. The issue was clear to us and we were able to find solutions that are agreeable to all parties.
THE IMPACT: On the ongoing APC revalidation/registration exercise, have you revalidated your membership…(cut in)?
Asipa Koali: Of course, as the first person in my community, I was the number on the line. I have done the revalidation/registration as an APC member. It is good for the exercise to be held once in a while. It is like a population census. Some people will argue that why do we have to recount? It is good to recount so that we can authenticate the database. Between the last time the registration was done and now, many would have left our party and many would wish to be members of our party while those who don’t care that time may now want to belong and participate, so, it is good to give them opportunity. The registration is open to everybody who wishes to identify with the progressives’ party.
The exercise is going on smoothly in various wards and from the report that I have been getting, the turnout is huge and more than what was expected. In fact, most of the documents given to them for the exercise have been exhausted and they are waiting for a new supply.
THE IMPACT: What is your view about the plan to re-delineate the five Divisions that made up Lagos State by the Lagos State House of Assembly. Do you think that this is necessary?
Asipa Kaoli: If you look at the history of Lagos State and the sentiments attached to it; there are sentiments attached to my identity, our identity and we all have identities which we want to hold tight to. You will become a different person if you change your identity.
I can’t understand how Eti – Osa can be part of the Epe Division. It is strange to me. If you say Eti – Osa should be part of Lagos Division, fine, but to merge it with Epe Division is strange. It should not be.
There was a time that the whole of the Ikorodu Division was part of Ikeja Division, but in the wisdom of our elders at that time, they saw clearly that Ikorodu cannot be part of Ikeja and they did the needful. Look at the constitution of America written more than 200 years ago, today, it is still being referenced with clear intent and purposes of the writers of the document and they hold it dearly to themselves. It is the same thing as IBILE. This is a state whose ancestors and progenitors are first among their peers in Nigeria. They are first among the equals in Nigeria. If they sat down and they gave us this structure as IBILE, we should very proud of it and happily associate with IBILE regardless of size. It is about homogeneity of the people that you are bringing together, you cannot just bring together people who are of strange bedfellows to form a Division. In my own informed opinion, I think that that idea should be jettisoned. It will not work well and I don’t know what purpose it will serve. I don’t clearly understand it except that it is trying to stir a horn nest and when you do that, bees will fly and start to sting and issues will come. We don’t have to raise issues. Just let it rest. That is what we accept in Lagos because that is what we are and we are proud of it.
THE IMPACT: Let’s talk about the aftermath of the Town hall meeting with the Commissioner of Police. What is the community doing as follow up to many of the resolutions. For instance, many of the Marwa operators, Okada riders and traders are still populating the Ikorodu garage despite the directive that they should vacate. In my meeting with chieftains of the Marwa associations, they alleged that Councils are collecting annual and daily dues from them contrary to what the Commissioner of Police said that he was told and that the councils are not providing space/garage for them. What is the community doing in this regard sir?
Asipa Kaoli: Any responsible and proactive government is expected to always look far ahead and meet the population projection for development of infrastructures to meet up with future expansions. Unfortunately, that has not happened. That Ikorodu garage has remained the same since the time when we were small, apart from the expansion of the road and I expect somebody to have imagined expansions that will be needed in 10 years, including rail line and others provision made. In the absence of that, you are asking them (commercial motorcyclists and tricyclists) to leave while people are demanding for that service, where do you want them to go? Applying force all the time will not resolve issues except to provide alternatives. Give them a park or space. It is only when you provide them with that and they refused to go that you can then force them.
In cases where there are no park or space provided and the people that the government is serving are desirous of these services because that is where they put food on their tables and get their daily bread. What then is the solution? The police cannot be a permanent solution because they will not be there 24 hours every day, four weeks of the month and 365 days of the year to keep the place flowing – free. The solution is to provide infrastructure by acquiring land which belongs to the government. Land can be acquired for public interests and provide parks for them if Marwa and Okada are still what we are still living with now.
THE IMPACT: One of the resolutions at the Town hall meeting is the constitution of Ikorodu Trust Fund. How far has the Ikorodu community gone regarding that?
Asipa Kaoli: The proposal to form the Ikorodu Security Trust Fund has been on the table for quite a while, I remember that I was part of those who drafted a memo to the Ikorodu Division Council of Obas and Chiefs for their inputs and concurrence and we have followed up severally. We have also properly informed Council Chairmen in each Local Government and Local Council Development Areas and also asked for their inputs so that we can form one omnibus Divisional Security Trust Fund. These miscreants are not bound by boundaries and when they do their criminality here, they usually run to the next place but with one omnibus security arrangement, we will be able to take care of it. Unfortunately, there are bottlenecks that I don’t really understand. At the last meeting we had at the town hall with the Commissioner of Police, the Ayangtbure of Ikorodu called that we should setup an Ikorodu Security Trust Fund to show as an example to other components of the division regardless of whether in Ikorodu we use Onyabo; in Igbogbo they use Agbekoya and in another, they use JTF (Joint Task Force), they are still doing security work and the trust fund will be use to take care of that, but people do does not seem to understand that. What the Ayangbure is initiating is to set up the Ikorodu Security Trust Fund to equip, educate, reorientate, train and fund the activities of government security and our own local vigilante. Maybe by the time we see the effectiveness, maybe other towns and LCDAs will key into it or set up a similar thing. The security trust fund will be inaugurated on the 24 of this month and to buttress that action, the Secretary to the State Government had a meeting with all the Secretaries to the Local Government (SLG) in the state and also reiterated that each Council should form a Local Government Security Trust Fund to complement the efforts of the state. In each council, there are major stakeholders like banks, markets, manufacturing companies and everybody is interested in peace and without it, no one will be able to operate. As a result, they all must be able to contribute to the fund like what we have at the state level. That is what we are trying to replicate in Ikorodu.
THE IMPACT: Any plan to give it a legal backing…(cuts in)
Asipa Kaoli: Of course, once it is formed, we are going to approach the CAC for registration. The Ikorodu Security Trust Fund will be headed by Odofin Adewunmi Ogunsanya, SAN, and I will be the deputy. It has to be a legal entity and also registered with the appropriate agencies of government so that we will be able to liaise with government and police and armed forces.
THE IMPACT: Thank you very much for your time sir.
Asipa Kaoli: Thank you very much.
