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Mr. BENSON OLUSESAN LAWAL, The IDC Chairman
What we are celebrating today would have been impossible without the immense support that Isara Development Council (IDC) has continuously enjoyed from Isara sons and daughters at home and in diaspora. We also wantto express our profound gratitude in no mean measures to the God Almighty for making this Day possible despite the vilifying comments and false narratives being. peddled around by faceless individuals to reduce the response to our clarion call for donations in aid of this event and Isara Community Development.
Today, here we are marking the 2023 Afotamodi Festival. My speech today will undoubtedly touch on Isara Land/Boundary Dispute with Ode-Remo at Orile and our efforts so far, Survey of the Akuroforestland, Isara security and why everybody must be involved, “The Think Tank” and its contribution towards Isara socio-physical development, Rent and accommodation for the students of the Gateway (ICT) Polytechnic, Saapade, the indiscriminate sale of communal lands to Chinese for quarrying activities in quest for quick monies without minding the environmental negative impacts and hazards, Name Change from ICDA to IDC, The Palace Project and Sir Babatunde Runsewe Primary Health Centre at Orile, IDC welfare support and The Think Tank and its complementary role in sociophysical development of Isara
Isara Land/Boundary Dispute and the effort
so far
The parcel of land belonging to Isara at Orile had been surveyed and the layout ought have been completed if not for the setback we experienced from some land grabbers laying claim to some portion of the land at the boundary between Isara and Ode-Remo. All efforts to achieve amicable settlement of the dispute between the leadership of the 2 towns had yielded no result. It was this among others that caused our Royal Highness to take the dispute resolution to the Remo Traditional Council where HRH, Oba Adewale Olumuyiwa Osiberu, the Elepe of Epe, Sagamu was appointed to Chair a committee of three Obas set up to mediate in the dispute.
At the first sitting of the Committtee, Isara and Ode-Remo were invited to show their proof of ownership of the parcel of the land in dispute. On the day of the meeting early this year, Isara went there with their proof of ownership while Ode-Remo had no proof to provide apart from telling the committee that the person keeping their proof of ownership was late. We waited expectantly for months hoping to receive response from the committee only to be told that the Chairman of the Committee had excused himselffrom chairingthe committee.
This made the IDC to send a letter to the Chairman of Remo Traditional Council, H.I.M, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, The Akarigbo of Remo Land. On receiving the letter, he told HRH, The Odemo of Isara when he went there on a follow up visit that he would personally handle the issue. We hope to send him a reminder immediately after this festival because we have sold about 18 plots of the land to some Isara indigenes who have been waiting since 2020 to be allocated their plots of land.
Survey of Akuro forestland
It came to the knowledge of IDC that some parcel of Isara communal land had been sold to some people which it investigated and found to be true and those that bought the land were requested to regula rise their titles to their plots of land which some of them did and others are waitingto do the needful.
It was in an attempt to forestall sale of the remaining parcel of land in the same location that the IDC invited a surveyor to carry out the survey of the entire forest surrounding Oro shrine at Akuro, Orile. The survey had been carried out with the layout and plans are underway to sell the land to any willing indigene of Isara for construction of bungalows because of the Oro shrine that is within the precinct.
Isara Security and whywe must all be involved
The most challenging tasks to IDC is getting everyone living in Isara to be involved in its security. People want to sleep with their two eyes closed and they don’t-want to pay security levies. How could a living soul say he is unable to pay N500 per months which amounts to less than N20 per day if he genuinely wants to live a secured life? There is nowhere in Nigeria that is safe. We have to be all involved in community policing and watch our back at all times.
There is no difference between thieves and those that are unwilling to pay security levies as they work towards weakening the security system by ensuring that there is no money for IDC to pay security men. If we all want to protect our lives and properties, let us support the Isara Security Trust Fund by paying our security levies regularly and promptly.
All those that refuse to pay must be handed over to the police for prosecution as they are aiding and betting thievery. A committee had been set up on how to rejig the Isara Security Architecture for efficiency and we are very hopeful that we will enjoy the cooperation of everything in the community.
RENT AND ACCOMODATION for Gateway Polytechnic Students
The IDC received in audience representatives of the Students of Gateway Polytechnic, Saapade on the unbearable high rent they are paying within their school’s catchment area. They reported that there were some one-bedroom apartments going for as much as N350,000 to N500,000.
They also said that there were old houses without water and toilet with water system where they pay as much as much as N204,000 per annum at Ogunbayo Street, Isara. The issue at stake can only be addressed through moral suasion and compassion as downward review of rent is always very difficult. However, IDC wants to appeal to all house owners to please treat the students compassionately and make them to pay affordable rents. As we told them, most of the students live ostentatious life and give home owners false image of themselves. Some of them ride expensive cars and carry expensive phones which often make landlords to charge them high rents.
The Quarries And their negative environmental impact
The negative environmental impact of quarry activities on our community is inestimable. The problems we have to contend with are far in excess ofthe peanuts we are getting from the quarries. All the host communities went into lease negotiation with the quarries blind.
They were more interested in the immediate but incommensurable lease rentals of between N40 million and N50 million for 10 years when the quarries are smiling to their banks raking out Billions of Naira annually. The host communities did not have vaguest idea of the worth of the commonwealth they were dashing the Chinese. The road from the entry point at Erimobi along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway through Isara to Ago-Iwoye is now in deplorable condition. Those that are suffering from the unmotorable road are not limited to those that benefited from the lease.
The Isara Development Council as far back as 2020 set up a committee chaired by Mr. Leke Ojeyemi to intervene on behalf of those that were indiscriminately selling their lands and blindly entering into lease arrangements with Chinese but the Committee could not function because of the suspicion that the IDC was coming to take over their rightful place.
The host communities entered into a 10-year lease arrangement with the hope of entering into another lease in another 10 years forgetting that the Chinese are in business and ensuring that the lease will never take place as they work day and night blasting and evacuating the granite so that nothing is left after the expiration of the first lease.
Peteku Sokabi is a typical example others should learn from. The CCFCC had finished with Sokabi Family as far as granite is concerned, the arrangement they have with the family now is how they could pass through their family land to Peteku Lisa. Surprisingly, there are many families waiting to go blindly into the same arrangement to further plunge Isara into environmental degradation.
The Nigerian Mineral and Mining Act 2007 envisaged the untold hardship people in the quarrying communities will be made to face and made provision for Community Development Agreement that the quarries will have to enter into with the host communities before commencing operation. This is easily achieved before the lease arrangement is executed with the host communities so that the quarries will be forced to provide some essential social amenities for the communities such as roads, boreholes, schools, hospitals apart from the token they will be giving the communities for cultural and social events.
Going forward, we need to work together irrespective of our political leaning and affiliation to combat the menace and force them to carry out some palliative works on Isara-Ago-Iwoye Road to make the road passable. The IDC had met with the three quarries on the state of the road and commitment was obtained from them on when they would commence the palliative works with the Kabiyesi in attendance. The community also going forward has to make it mandatory for families willing to enter into lease arrangement with the Chinese or any investor for that matter to first obtain clearance from the IDC and the Palace.
Name Change from ICDA to IDC
Name change from ICDA to IDC was initially suggested at the 2019 Afotamodi when the Late Sir Babatunde Runsewe was delivering his address as the Father of the Day. He it was not quite belittling for Isara to still be operating as a CDA when towns smaller in population and landmass than it is operating as Development Association or Development Council. This was again reemphasized at the inauguration ofthe present executive by the Ministry of Community Development and Cooperative in 2022.
The officials from the Ministry wanted to stand down the inauguration because they found it incredible that Isara which is arguably the sixth largest town in Ogun State could still be operating as a CDA that only requires at most 40 members to form.
It was this among others that made the present executive to see the name change as a focal point immediately after its inauguration. Isara Development Council was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja as an Incorporated Trustee with the power to sue and be sued. Unlike the ICDA whose excos have a tenure of three (3) years, IDC excos have 5 year tenure with a” the characteristics of limited liability companies. What we have just done is done in sync with what obtains in other communities around us such as Ode-Remo, Iperu, lIishan, Ikenne, etc.
Palace Development Project and Sir Babatunde Runsewe Primary Health Center
(i) Palace Project
Oba’s Palace is the official residence of a” obas in different community and must be made befitting for the occupants as it always serve as the first point of call for any important visitor coming to the town on official or private visits. The palace mirrors the town and not the Oba. We therefore need to work together to having a very befitting palace during our time and leave behind a Palace we will a” be proud of even when we are no more.
The first thing the then lCDA did on assumption of office in 2019 was the re-roofing ofthe palace which was leaking seriously at the time. We also got some well-meaning individuals to do one or two things regarding the physical development of the Palace. Let me at this juncture thank very profoundly, Mrs. Morayo Sokabi-Mustapha for fixing the P.O.P at one of the halls on ground floor and some aluminium windows at the reception on the first floor. My thanks also go to The Seriki of Isara, Alhaji Fatai Ogunmona for fence decoration of the palace and I learnt he was also repainting the fence in preparation for this year’s festival. My warmest regards also go to my dear brother, Mr. Segun Adekoya for also assisting in beautifying the palace by his fence decoration. The last but by no means the least is myvery good friend, The Otunba Otete, Alhaji Ayodele Lawai for working on the Porch on the first floor ofthe palace.
The IDC has fully interlocked thefrontage of the palace, roofed the boys’ quarters and intended to carry out the plastering of the boys’ quarters in coming days. So far, IDC has committed the sum of N7,l50,000 to improving look of the palace this year.
(ii) Sir Babatunde Runsewe Primary Health Centre
The IDC took the decision to build the health Centre following the refusal of the officials of the World Bank to
renovate any health centre in rented apartment. As at the time we commenced the construction of this health centre, a” the health centres were in rented apartment apart from the one that was at the basement of the Afotamodi Townhall. The health Centre has two wards, doctor consulting room, pharmacy, kitchen, toilets and big reception for patients. The health facility will be able to serve people in Ward 2 and those in Ward 1 that are living very close to the Centre. The IDC as attoday had committed the sum of N16,101,200.
IDC Welfare Support
Isara Development Council had been very concerned about the welfare of all and sundry at Isara.After Afotamodi last year we had got a distress call from one of own who needed to be supported to undergo a neurosurgical operation at whooping sum of N3.4 million at a specialist hospital in Lagos. We posted this request on the IPF platform and got the person that needed the assistance to make a voice message to express how distressed he was. Within two weeks, IDC was able to raise more than N3 million to support the gentleman. We are happy that the man is back on his feet driving and moving around the town.
Also, during the year, one gentleman from Isara who had leg ulcer approached the IDC for assistance. His photograph and medical report were posted on the IPF platform for financial support as he needed to undergo surgical operation on the leg at the UCH, Ibadan. The gentleman requested for N600,000 but IDC was able to raise N1.3 million for him. There was also a young woman that underwent fibroid operation at a hospital in Lagos that the IDC had to support with N200,000 as her family had already paid substantial part of the bill before approaching the Council for assistance. The operation was successful and the woman is alive, strong and kicking.
Apart from health interventions, IDC also gave scholarship to Master Olamiposi Oshikan who came atop in a National Debate at Abuja. The boy’s impressive performance earned him another scholarship from one of the well-meaning individuals in the community. Olamiposi, is presently at Igbobi College, Lagos for his secondary education.
The Think Tank
I cannot conclude my address without recognising the efforts of the The Think Tank led by my very amiable brother, Chief Pekun Awobona whose major preoccupation had been how to move Isara forward and make it a better place to live in. Always with him designing community development template for the IDC are the likes of Otunba N.A Sobowale and Mr. Patrick Adeniyi Idowu. I owe them a lot of gratitude for their support and advice at all times.
The Afotamodi Planning Committee
What we have here today would have been impossible without the efforts of the Planning Committee, led by my very committed brother, Otunba Akinwolemiwa Awobodu who in collaboration with his members have invested a great deal of their precious meeting every week since were inaugurated without an imprest. I thank you all in making this Day possible. God will reward in excess of your expectation. I also owe the well-meaning individuals that are here today to honour our invitation, God in His infinite mercy shall see safely back to your various destination.
