By Olasunkanmi Akoni

The tripartite body of the National Boundary Commission, NBC, Lagos State Boundary and the Ogun State Boundary Committees, comprising of town planners, physical planners, officials of the state Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, are currently enmeshed in yet to be resolved boundary dispute between the two neighbouring states.

Also the state boundary committee is also confronted with series of boundary disputes across the metropolis with a view of resolving the issues. It should be noted that boundary department of the Lagos State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs oversees boundary issues and ensures a cordial and mutual relationships with other states with which Lagos states shares a boundary.

The functions of the department are derived from the statutory duties of the Lagos State Boundary Committee and the National Boundary Commission Law enacted in 2006, which established the state boundary committee.

Boundarycommittee

The ministry also oversees the resolution of conflicts and enhances security in the state. However, for over seven years of the present administration under the leadership of Governor Babatunde Fashola, there were various land disputes with some resolved and others still unresolved.

Some of the disputes include: The recent settlement of border dispute between Ilogbo-Eremi. Boundary and land dispute involving the Onilogbo of Ilogbo-Eremi, Philip family and Bamgbose Idolabumo Ruling house of Ilogbo-Eremi in Olorunda Local Government Area (Badagry Division) was resolved by the ministry.

OdeOmi boundary dispute between Lagos and Ogun States

The Lagos Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs had in the wake of the crisis submitted all relevant documents to the National Boundary Commission in support of the claims of Lagos State on ownership. The border community is replete with natural gas that can fetch the two states billions of naira.

Confirming the boundary dispute with the Ogun State Government which has lasted for over 100 years, was yet to be resolved by National Boundary Commission, state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Ademorin Kuye, while speaking with newsmen in Alausa, Ikeja, expressed confidence in the capacity of the commission to resolve amicably the dispute in collaboration with its boundary committees, which both states set up to deal with the issues.

Kuye, added that in the last 12 months Lagos has collaborated effectively and in a friendly manner to trace and demarcate Sections A and B of the interstate boundary. The commissioner added that the committees had been working together “to ascertain the status of pillars and beacons both in Agbara sector in section A and Kuona village to Imagba village and Omu creek in section B.

The joint field team was done under the auspices of the NBC.” But Kuye acknowledged that the Section C portion of the 1913 boundary line proclamation, starting from Omu Creek and ending at Ode-Omu border town towards the Atlantic Ocean, “is yet to be successfully demarcated.”

According to him, “We strongly believe that the tripartite body of the NBC, Lagos State Boundary and the Ogun State Boundary Committees will soon find amicable solution to the Section C covering the distance of 7.5 Kilometres of our common boundary which is about one hundred years old.”

Although, Fashola of Lagos State and his Ogun State counterpart, Senator Ibikunle Amosun were able to resolve boundary issues in 15 communities bordering the two states, but were unable to resolve the knotty Ode Omi crisis.  A meeting between Fashola and Amosun in Abeokuta, Ogun State in October 2012, ended in deadlock as there was no concrete agreement reached on the issue.

A communiqué released at the end of the meeting stated: “The outstanding issues in respect of Sector C, specifically Ode Omi, will be addressed at a later date.” In 2011, officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Rural Development also visited the neglected community and claimed that 70 per cent ownership of the rich gas community, saying the survey of the land was signed by former Governor, Lateef Jakande in 1983 which gave the land to Lagos.

Immediately after that declaration, the Ogun State Government vehemently dismissed the claims of ownership of the community by Lagos, saying the land belonged to Ogun State. Similarly, a boundary dispute between the two states arising as a result of ownership of land around Agbara in Olorunda Local Development Area and Isheri Oke was handled by the Joint Team of both states to fashion out a technical report on the disputed areas.

At tripartite meeting between the  joint team and National Boundary Commission sometime in the first term of Fashola administration presented their findings, with each state arguing why it should be the rightful owner of the disputed lands. In her presentation, the then Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Sarah Adebisi Sosan accused the Ogun State counterpart of encroaching on Lagos lands, arguing that Ogun State Government had capitalized on urbanization to encroach on Lagos land.

According to her, when the state was created in 1967, all its LWBCS pillars were buried in these areas which were then considered “remote and rural”. She added that the Ogun State government took advantage of the spill over effects of urban development of Lagos State to encroach on Lagos lands a situation she said has “deprived the people their ancestral connection to their roots”.

Her Ogun State counterpart, Alhaja Salmat Badru who was represented by Prof. Anthony Asiwaju however, punctured Sosan argument, insisting that Lagos was the actual culprit in the accusation of encroachment. She alleged that Lagos State encroached on Ogun land in order to generate revenue. Both states had been claiming to be the authentic owner of some parcels of land around Agbara in Olorunda Local Development Council Area and Isheri Oke area of Lagos State for many years.