Osogbo is in the Central Senatorial District, while Ede is in the West Senatorial District, according to electoral classification. While Osogbo is the state capital, Ede is one of the West’s major cities. In terms of population, Osogbo outnumbers Ede. According to recent population estimates, Osogbo has a population of 750,000 people, while Ede has a population of 159,866 people. One could travel by road from Ede to Osogbo in a short amount of time. Over the years, there have been inter-city marriages and business partnerships between residents of the two cities. Given the proximity of Ede to Osogbo, it goes without saying that Ede would typically benefit from infrastructure development as the state capital continues to grow as a result of residents’ and non-residents’ interest in relocating there.
For instance, Chief Bisi Akande, a former governor, laid the foundation for the construction of a new secretariat valued at N2 billion on March 24, 2000, after years of government employees working in various locations throughout the state capital due to the lack of a single structure for providing public services.
“On my assumption of office as the Executive Governor of Osun State, I observed that all the agencies of government were scattered all over the State Capital. Many of the agencies operate from rented apartments while most of them are squeezed together at “Maroko”. “Maroko” is the nickname for the Osogbo Local Government’s lock-up stores and motor parks taken over by the pioneer Government and converted into Government offices. For a poor State, the situation has been too costly and it encourages staff loafing around, laziness and ghost workers. The situation undoubtedly inhibits effective administration and does not make for proper coordination of activities of Government.
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To facilitate smooth administration and proper coordination of governmental activities, it is, therefore, the determination of this Administration to have in place a befitting Secretariat Complex, for future Administrations in the State. I wish to reiterate that the construction of the new Secretariat Complex, the foundation of which is now being performed by Mr. President, is one of the priorities of my Administration in this fiscal year.”
Historicisation of the conflict
Those were Chief Bisi Akande’s words when former President Olusegun Obasanjo laid the foundation stone for the new government secretariat. Members of an Ede socio-cultural association warned the state government in 2001, a year after the foundation-laying ceremony, that if the Osun State government did not resolve the land dispute between it (Ede) and Osogbo, the state capital, there would be another Ife-Modakeke-like conflict.
Despite the call and subsequent narratives, Chief Akande fulfilled his promise in 2003 by commissioning the secretariat, claiming that the new secretariat would create 5,000 jobs. In 2014, the old wound was revisited when president of the city association said “it had become necessary for Ede and Osogbo to stop incessant boundary clashes in the interest of peace and development. He also urged the governor (Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola) to look into the report of a boundary demarcation commission set up by former governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, which identified the boundaries between Ede and its neighbours, including Ofatedo and Ido-Osun.
In 2016, the Ede community warned Governor Rauf Aregbesola to stop policies that could lead to a conflict with Osogbo. The state government was accused of establishing a new town within Edeland called Oranmiyan Town. The narratives culminated in physical actions in 2017, when indigenes of Abere, where the secretariat is located, protested the demolition of some buildings by the Ministry of Environment and Sanitation. According to a national newspaper report, the chairman of the Abere Community threatened to go to war if the people behind the move did not stop the plan to cede part of Abere to Osogbo.
Obas’ Press Release and Inherent Discourse Formations
From all indications, it is obvious that there are problems that the relevant parties neglected to address between 2001 and 2017, which are now being exploited by political actors and some individuals who oppose peace. Traditional leaders of the two communities released a press release to address the issue. Although the message is clear, I feel that the production and presentation are inappropriate for the status of two rulers. Is it not banal that despite the seriousness of the situation, a press release with a total word counts of 172, including the heading (Press Release) and the title, was issued?
Why did the traditional rulers issue a press release on regular paper? Why can’t the duo’s traditional logos be created and used together for the release? Given the gravity of the situation and Ife Modakeke’s previous experiences, why was a joint press conference not appropriate for the two rulers? Why is it so difficult for the government to hold a press conference instead of relying on a press release issued by the rulers?
The royal fathers stated that: “As royal fathers of Osogboland and Edeland, we affirm there is no conflict or controversy over the status, the location and naming of the state government Secretariat.” In another part of the release, the both said: “the State Government has not acted in anyway to deny any community of their rights and privileges. We blame political forces for attempting to politicise the issue to forment trouble and destabilize the state.” Historically, the two rulers are not expected to make statements that could spark a crisis. However, the statements are built on a political framework. The rulers want the public to believe that there is no conflict or controversy with the first statement. However, the second statement emphasizes the existence of an issue, which political forces have exploited for personal gain. In my opinion, the phrase “the state government has not acted in any way to deny any community of its rights and privileges” is better communicated by the state government than by them because the governor is in the best position to reveal judicial conclusions on annexing the location for capital territory development.
The title reads “Osun State Government Secretariat: Status Quo Remains-Osogbo, Ede Royal Fathers” Connecting “Status Quo” to the kicker (Osun State Government Secretariat), it is clear that the rulers want the public to believe that naming location of the secretariat remain Abeere Osogbo. Is the state government politically aligned with their resolution? If so, why were some of the “Abeere Osogbo” signages at the front of the secretariat recently removed? The state government should also send out messages indicating that some letterheads with Abeere but no Osogbo do not come from the government. I’m still hoping the letter heads are made up. As a result, the state government must clear citizens’ doubts.