The Egbe Omo Ilaje World-Wide, a prominent socio-cultural group in Ondo State, has rejected any attempt to include Ilaje land or any part of Ilaje Local Government Area in the proposed Ijebu State.
In a statement released on Friday, the President-General of the group, Prince Iwamitigha Raphael Irowainu, stated that Ilaje people have no historical, political, or administrative ties with Ijebu land to justify such an inclusion.
He noted that Ilaje has always been part of the old Ondo Province and remains deeply connected to the present Ondo State.
He said culturally, the Ilaje people share strong ties with other ethnic groups in Ondo State, such as the Ikale, Apoi, Ondo, Idanre, and Owo. Their aspirations for state and local government creation have always aligned with these groups.
He clarified that no individual or organisation from Ilaje land has ever requested to be included in the proposed Ijebu State.
Irowainu explained that they want to make it abundantly clear that they have not mandated any group or person to speak on their behalf regarding such a move.
He said that their consent was never sought, and they shall resist any attempt to impose this on them.
While the group has no objection to the creation of Ijebu State, they insist that Ilaje land should not be part of it.
However, they called on the federal government to correct a boundary issue dating back to 1976, when some Ilaje towns and villages—such as Itebu Manuwa, Ajegunle, Ayetumara, Igboedu, Obinehin, and Arijan—were merged into present-day Ogun State.
The group urged the authorities to implement the recommendations of the Irikefe Panel on state creation and boundary adjustments, which had advised that these Ilaje settlements be returned to Ondo State.
The statement read, “We are quite appreciative of the good intentions of the federal government of Nigeria under the able leadership of his Excellency, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCON and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces to create new states and local government area with the hope that the exercise will bring the government closer to the people.
“This briefing is predicated upon the rumours now making the rounds of an intent to include Ilaje land or part of Ilaje government area in the proposed Ijebu State if and when created.
“Going into a short historical excursion, we recalled that on 1st January, 1914, the northern and southern Nigeria were amalgamated into the colony and protectorate of Nigeria by Sir. Frederick Authur Lugard (Later Lord Lugard). This major political development was followed by a complete re-arrangement and restructuring of the administrative set-up which led to the creation of the southern provinces, namely Abeokuta, Benin, Calabar, Ibadan, Oyo, Ondo and Warri.
“It is pertinent to state here that Ondo province came into being through government notice No. 99 published in Gazette No. 67 volume 2 of 23rd December, 1915, the Ondo Province emerged from the merging of the them Ekiti and Ondo divisions.
“Subsequently, four administrative divisions were created to constitute the new province. They were Ondo, Owo Ekiiti and Okitipupa Divisions. In 1968, the them Ondo province of the western state was further divided into nine divisions, namely, Akure, Ondo, Owo, Okitipupa, Akoko, Ekiti South, Ekiti Central, Ekiti North and Ekiti West. In February 1976, the them Ondo province was created as a state, that is, the present Ondo state of Nigeria.”
He said, “It is instructive to point out that through the aforementioned government notice No 99 contained in Gazette No 67 volume 2 of 23rd December, 1915, Ijebu Province which had earlier been created in January 1915 through government notice No 11 of that year contained in volume 2 of 21st of January 1915 was abolished and subsequently merged with Abeokuta province.
“Like the former Ondo province, which was created into the present Ondo State, the Abeokuta province, made up of Egba, Ijebu and Egbado divisions formed the basis of creation of Ogun State in 1976.
“It is very transparent from the brief historical facts given above that Okitipupa division and indeed any other part of old Ondo province had no administrative and political affinity with the Ijebu to justify the alleged inclusion of Ilaje land or any part of Ilaje Local Government Area in the Proposed Ijebu State.”
According to the group, culturally, the Ilaje, Ikale, Apoi, Ondo, Idanre, Owo, and so on have many things in common.
“We have been linked together administratively over the years. In the desire for the creation of states and local government areas, we have always shared common aspirations,” it said.
Irowainu noted that their desire is for the entities to stay together in the present Ondo State.
