Residents of Iree town in Boripe North Local Development Area of Osun state have called on the State Government to, as a matter of urgency, intervene in the crisis looming between members of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Iree chapter and the leadership of the council.
They noted that the imminent crisis will be avoided if government and security agencies rise to the occasion on time and allow the court of law to take its course.
Crisis started some months ago when the management of RTEAN sent a Save our Soul message to Governor Ademola Adeleke over the victimization being experienced from the hand of a PDP chieftain, Chief Yinka Adeọjọ, who is an indigene of the town, over the land given to them by the government since 2010 to use as their park.
The land, located around Saw Mill of the town, it was gathered, was given to the RTEAN via a letter made available to them by one A.O Fatoye which was dated May 19, 2011 and signed on behalf of the then chairman of Boripe local government.
According to the association chairman then, Sunday Adeosun, the PDP chieftain once laid claim to the land around 2011/2012, saying he bought it from a chief, the move to take over the land was vehemently resisted by the association and eventually led to legal battle.
They however won the court case at the Ikirun High court in Suit Number: HIK/4/2012, as it even awarded N10,000 costs against Adeojo.
Findings revealed that immediately the new administration took over in Osun, Adeojo made another move to eject the RTEAN members out of the land which made the association dragged him and the Boripe local government to court.
But in another twist, the chairman of Boripe North Local Government Area, Jamiu Adedokun, was said to have ordered the transport association to leave the piece of land because the council wants to use it.
Sunday Adeosun told our correspondent that “The Chairman of Boripe North Local Development Area, Hon. Adedokun Jamiu, has commenced steps to forcefully eject us out of the land and we viewed this has a political colouration and it’s a guise to unjustly acquire the land for Chief Adeojo.
“It was surprising when Adedokun, accompanied by his aides, stormed our park a few days ago and insisted that the Union must leave notwithstanding the pendency of the suit in court. But the Union hurriedly did a petition to the AIG, Government, SSS, Commissioner of Police to forestall breakdown of law and order in Iree but no concrete action was however yet to be taken on our complaints.
“Tension is rising presently over the matter. Urgent intervention of the security agents and government is needed to prevent breakdown of law and order”
Also, the Union said it has approached an Ikirun High Court in a suit number HIK/15/23, seeking end to the plan to eject its members from the park, adding that the matter was adjourned till October 30, 2023.
Speaking on the development, a resident of Iree, Mr Adeoye Waheed, urged the state government not to fold arms until the crisis degenerated into state of anarchy. He noted that a stich in time now could saves nine.
But when contacted, Adedokun said the land in question belongs to the local government, but was given to the driver’s union to use temporarily, adding that they had been informed long ago that government wanted to use the land.
“They took the local government to court. But since I became chairman of the Council Area, I have not received any paper indicating that there was a pending case on the issue. You can ask them to produce the document that cede the ownership of the land to them. DPO of my Area also called that some people brought a petition against me and I told them I am away on seminar. I promise to attend to the petition immediately I return home” Adedokun said
