OGUN ENDS LINGERING CRISIS ROCKING OBADA MARKET
By Olorunfemi Ojo
Ogun State Government has put an end to the lingering crisis between Yewa North, Abeokuta North and Imeko/Afon Local Governments over who controls and owns the popular Obada market that shares boundary with the three Local Governments before degenerating into destruction of lives and properties.
This was contained in a press release signed by the Information officer of the ministry, Lateef Ositelu.
According to the release, Basorun Muyiwa Oladipo, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in a peace meeting with Hon. Olabode Taofeek, Chairman Abeokuta North; Hon. Tajudeen Ayilara, Chairman,Imeko Afon; Mr. Olayinka Kolawole, Secretary to Yewa North Local Government; Oba (Apostle) Adegboyega Olabode, the Omola of Imala; Oba Azeez Adelakun, the Alaye of Ayetoro; Oba Busari Adetona,the Obaladi of Afon and stakeholders in Abeokuta said, it was high time the State put an end to the protracted crisis in the market in a bid to prevent break down of law and order in the axis.
Oladipo noted, the Market issue was a complex one due to its location within boundaries of the three Local Government areas, and it has generated crisis among the three traditional rulers of the concerned Communities over their traditional authority over the Market.
He said that government intervention was to provide clear cut resolution that would promote peaceful co~existence and discontinue any existing division as well as to generate stable revenue for development for all the concerned parties.
Commissioner pointed out that for the State to achieve the desired result to end the crisis, it encouraged the involvement of all the concerned stakeholders from each Local Government and communities in a bid to have participatory peaceful resolution.
Basorun Oladipo noted that, the outcome of the joint dialogue and participatory peaceful meeting of stakeholders from the three Local Governments at the meeting, brought about a resolution which jointly endorsed that; the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs should assist them employ a Consultant to collect revenue in the Market on behalf of the three Local Governments.
The sharing formula, the resolution stated would be determined after two weeks of engaging the Consultant.
The Consultant, it was also agreed would be taken to the Market by the three concerned Local Governments to present him/her to the market to forestall further crisis and show case transparency.
Hon. Commissioner however enjoined all the parties to shun any act capable of breaching the peace of the market and its environs, saying that the government would not allow any act of lawlessness that could disrupt its on-going re-building mission across the State.
He enjoined the three concerned Tradition rulers to continue to support the efforts of the State Government at promoting peaceful co~existence across the State.
Hon. Olabode Taofeek, Chairman, Abeokuta North Local Government and Oba Azeez Adelakun, Alaye of Ayetoro while appreciating the pragmatic step and firm resolution reached by the present administration to end the crisis promised to carry all the stakeholders in the market and communities along on the new resolution for the socio-economic development of the axis.
