Past Olubadans Aware Ogburo Town Belongs To Iwo-Osun Monarchs, Chiefs

-Seek Gov Adeleke, Makinde’s Intervention In Looming Communal Crisis

A community in Osun state, Ogburo in Iwo local government, has cautioned governor Ademola Adeleke and his Oyo state counterpart, Seyi Makinde, not to allow the brewing communal dispute to escalate.

Speaking on behalf of Oloja of Agberire, Oba Jacob Alajide; Alakinleye of Akinleye, Oba Abiodun Taofeeq Nafiu; Ologburo of Ogburo, Oba Asimiyu Sodeeq Agboluaje; Agbodowu of Foritaje, Oba Oyeniyi Amoo; Alawuje of Awuje, Oba Hamzat Mikhail Abidogun; and Olota of Ilota, Oba Adetunji Suhaib Akano, who all gathered at Ogburo, a former chairman of Iwo local government, Alh Tajudeen Babatunde, called on the two states to checkmate the activities of those that are planning to cause disunity between Oyo and Osun.

He said it became necessary to raise the alarm because of a programme aired on a popular private radio station in Ibadan where one Oyebamiji claimed that Ogburo belongs to Ibadan in Oyo state.

Babatunde, who is the former Chairman of Iwo South LCDA stated that the claim is capable of arousing communal dispute if not urgently checkmated because efforts had been made by some villages to shift allegiance to Oyo state in the past.

According to Babatunde, “saying that Ogburo belongs to Ibadan is not true. Historically and legally, Ogburo belongs to Iwo in Osun state. Our forefathers came from Ile-Ife. Including the present King, ten Kings had reigned in Ogburo and they were all installed by Oluwo of Iwo. No one was installed by Olubadan.

“During a case between Oba Ogundiran, the Ologburo Apelujo, in 1937, when the then Oluwo went to the court to witness against Ogundiran. It was then that Ologburo Apelujo decided to shift his allegiance to Ibadan and he couldn’t achieve his aim before he died.

“The third Ologburo Bankole in 1941 said he wanted to shift his allegiance to Ibadan. The whole town divided but the majority rose against him that they belonged to Iwo. Unfortunately, he died in 1962 and since then till 2005, we haven’t had any monarch.

“In 2006, the Oluwo of Iwo installed the present Ologburo. The state government of Osun provided all amenities in the town.

“The Osun and Oyo state should warn those that are planning to cause dispute. Whoever cares should go for a referendum to know the facts.

“We have gone to the court several times and we won. Some villages tried to shift loyalty to Ibadan and we dragged them to court and we won. Because of the long distance of the vacant stool of Ologburo, some villages tried nonsense and we made them know through legal means that we owned the lands,” Babatunde said.