Creation of New States: Remo Rejects Ijebu State, Submits Another Memorandum to National Assembly, Says Name, Capital Did Not Reflect Remo Identity

Israel Adeleke

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that the Remo Committee on State Creation, on Tuesday said that the committee with the support of Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, submitted a different memorandum on creation of new state out of Ogun State to the National Assembly because it will never allow its distinctive Remo identity to be swallowed under the guise of state creation.

OTN News further reports that the committee who disclosed this in a document made available to news men earlier this week and signed by the committee chairman, Aare Kola Oyefeso, and the secretary, Mr Wole Awe, said that the decision of the Ijebu division to have the new proposed State called Ijebu State with capital in ljebu-Ode is not acceptable as the suggested name and capital did not in anyway factor in or reflect the Remo identity.

The committee noted that past attempt to create a new state out of the existing Ogun had always hit the brickwall because of the inability of both Ijebu and Remo divisions to agree on the name and the capital of the new state.

The committee further, explained that in state creation, concession had always been given to the other federating units of the area the state is being created from and that it was in a bid to give sense of belonging that marked the history of creation of Oyo with Ibadan as capital, Ondo with Akure, Osun and Oshogbo as capital among others.

It stated further that “When Abeokuta Province was being made a state, cognizant of ethnic diversity, the state was neither made Abeokuta nor Egba State. It was made Ogun State and the purpose was not to allow any clan in a state to lord it over other clans”

The group also explained that while Ijebu committee had submitted their memorandum on creation of new state to the national assembly with Ijebu as the name of the new state and Ijebu Ode as the capital, the Remo has equally done samoposing Remo-Ijebu state with the capital in Sagamu.

The committee revealed further that “The two Divisions have exhibited their distinct features and they have both submitted two different memoranda to the National Assembly.

“The plausible reason for this on the part of Remo is that Remo identity was handed down by Remo’s heroes past, even before Martindale enquiry authenticated Remo districtiveness in 1937.

“This Remo identity cannot be toyed with, given what Remo experienced in the past, when they were erroneously categorized as part of the Ijebus.

“Because of this, Remo shall not be part of the subjugation of its identity and under any guise or excuse would Remo people allow the name Remo to be subsumed in the name of the proposed state.

“It is instructive as well as noteworthy that Remo’s root is not a matter of imagination or speculation. Remo people are of Ile-Ife origin, in Iremo Quarters and we still maintain till date, fraternal relationship with our root”.

The committee also said that the unprecedented and exponential growth witnessed in Remo in the last forty years and still being witnessed daily due to proximity to Lagos State makes Sagamu to stand tall among other contemporary towns, in Ogun East, for siting as Capital of the proposed State, in a free an unbiased evaluation of the requests for creation of state.

It added that “Without sounding immodest, no town in Ogun East rivals Sagamu and Remo in terms of infrastructure and readiness to serve as a state capital.

“Remo’s economic development, driven by industrial growth and robust transport links to major cities in South-West Nigeria, sets it apart.

“The existing airport in Remo Central, established for both cargo, local and international flights, will ease travel burdens of people from surrounding States, who currently rely on Lagos airports.

“Furthermore, Remo Division’s high revenue generation capacity, already a leading contributor to Ogun State’s internally generated revenue, ensures that a future Remo State would be ffinancially sustainable, reducing dependence on federal allocations”

It however added that, not withstanding their opposition to the proposal of the Ijebu, the Remo people harbour no ill feelings against the Ijebus and will continue to hold the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona in high esteem.

The committee said, “Equally, the relationship we have with our brothers and sisters of Ijebu-Land shall remain unaffected, State’s creation or not.

“By the same token, we wish the Ijebus Godspeed in their quest for State creation without Remo-Land, much as we insist, Remo SHALL not be part of any arrangement, where the name Remo would be subsumed for any reason whatsoever”