The Esa-Oke community has made clear their demand to the Osun State Government over the crisis that greeted its announcement of an Oba for Ido Ajegunle.
They community who spoke through their lead counsel, Barrister Gbite Adeniyi urges the Governor, Mr. Ademola Adeleke to suspend, immediately, the newly appointed Olojudo of Ido Ajegunle, one Prince Timi Ajayi. This, the Esa Oke community believed is the only panacea for peace in the settlement.
www.esaoketodayonline.com recalled that crisis began after the Osun State Government announced the appointment of Ajayi, a native of Ilesha, as the monarch of the village, which traditionally belonged to the Esa-Oke.
Barrister Gbite Adeniyi has therefore, advised the Osun State Government to allowed all the cases pending at the various courts in the country to be finally determined before thinking of approving an Oba or Baale for the farming settlement.
Barr. Adeniyi, the lead counsel to Esa Oke community further noted that since the suit is already before a competent court of law, Governor Ademola Adeleke has no power to appoint or install anyone as Baale or monarch in the settlement.
He called on the Osun State government to suspend the Installation of any Baale or monarch in Ido Ajegunle community saying that installing a monarch or Baale there will be prejudice.
The legal practitioner claimed that the case was instituted by the Ido settlers and would have to be dispensed with so as to know the original owners of the land in dispute.
Barrister Adeniyi also maintained that there is confusion of identity in the case filed by the Ido settlers as the Ido people have also joined the Efon Alaaye community in Ekiti State in the suit.
He noted that there is a subsisting judgment of the Supreme Court in favour of Alaaye of Efon against the Ido Ayegunle people.
The legal practitioner claimed that the judgment had mandated the Ido Ajegunle people to be paying royalties to Alaaye of Efon.
He opined that the Ido settlers might have relocated to Esa Oke land as settlers after losing at the court to the Alaaye of Efon.
Barrister Adeniyi insisted that the village belongs to their community, with the Owamiran of Esa-Oke, not the Owa of Ilesa, having the authority to appoint a ruler over it.
In response to the unrest, Governor Ademola Adeleke launched an investigation into the underlying causes of the conflict.
A panel of inquiry was subsequently established and visited the disputed village on Tuesday, urging both parties to seek an amicable resolution to the crisis.
Led by panel chairman Hon. Ropo Oyewole, the delegation toured the village, which is home to less than 15 dilapidated buildings.
Oyewole called for peace and assured the warring communities that the investigation would be carried out fairly and impartially.
“We should allow for peace. The mandate given to us is known to everybody, and we are working within that mandate. We want to appeal to you all to give peace a chance,” he said.
However, the legal representative for the Esa-Oke community, Barr Gbite Adeniyi argued that Ido Ajegunle was part of Esa-Oke.
Adegbite called for the government to allow pending court cases related to the ownership and leadership of the village to reach a conclusion before any further actions were taken.
He further urged the government to refrain from installing a monarch in Ido Ajegunle while the case remained in court, as such a move would interfere with the judicial process.
“There is a court case filed by the same Ido settlers against both Esa-Oke and Efon Alaye people. The government should stay action on the issue of appointing anybody as the king of the town,” Adegbite stated.
He also emphasised the importance of resolving land ownership disputes, which are part of ongoing court proceedings, before the government makes any further decisions.
The situation has left many in the area injured and has caused a deep divide between the two communities, raising questions about the legitimacy of the appointment of the new monarch in the midst of ongoing legal disputes.
The call for the suspension of the newly appointed monarch reflects the tension and dissatisfaction surrounding the government’s handling of the matter.
Already, there was palpable tension in Ido Ajegunle settlement, a village under in Esa Oke as the Panel set up by Osun State government on the crisis between Esa Oke and Ido Ayegunle visits the controversial settlement.
A select delegations from both sides led members of the panel to relevant and significant sites to proof the ownership of the settlement.
The Esa Oke delegates compromising Barrister Gbite Adeniyi, the Asalu of Esa Oke, Chief Ajewole, Basorun of Esa OKE, Chief Tayo Omojowogbe, the Obaala Olojudo of Ido Ajegunle, Chief Yinka Olabisi, Chairman of Esa Oke Central Union, Otunba Yinusa Bamgboye, Prince Wumi Adeniyi listened with rapt attention to the submissions of the Ido settlers.
However, tension began to rise when Barrister Gbite Adeniyi and the Esa Oke leaders starting spotting several blunders and incoherence claims in the submissions of the Ido settlers.
One of such was when the settlers led members of the panel to the trench purportedly dug by their forebears, questions were raised on the original owners of the Cocoa plantations around the said trench. However, it was discovered that the Cocoa plantations were owned by farmers from Odo Ese quarters in Esa Oke, two of the farmers, one Chief Alegbeleye, and Mr Ogunleye, popularly known as Alawo were on ground to claim the ownership of the Cocoa plantations, the claims that were not countered by the Ido settlers.
Also the panel was led to a primary school built by the administration of Obokun local government under Barrister Sunday Lanipekun Ojo Williams, while the Ido settlers claimed that the school which is now desolate without pupils was built by Roman Catholic Nigeria, the Esa Oke delegates countered the claim, stressing that the school was initially built by the Roman Catholic Church, Esa OKE but was later re-developed by Obokun local government. Also the claim of Esa Oke on the school could not be countered.