The Remo Committee advocating for state creation from the former Ijebu province has officially presented its report to the Akarigbo and Paramount Ruler of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi. The committee proposes that the new state be named Remo-Ijebu, with Sagamu designated as the capital.
This significant report, delivered by committee Chairman Aare Kola Oyefeso, outlines the distinct identity of the Remo people. The committee emphasizes that their heritage traces back to Iremo Quarters in Ile Ife, and they assert that their unique identity must not be diminished.
The report underscores the special nature of this request for state creation, highlighting that Ogun East, also referred to as Ijebu Province, remains the only province established before Nigeria’s independence in 1960 that has yet to become a state.
The committee’s wide-ranging consultations have informed this initiative, which also calls for the establishment of additional local governments to address the increasing population influx from neighboring Lagos State.
The communiqué states, “The Remo people are distinct from the Ijebus, having migrated from Remo Quarters, Ile Ife, while preserving their cultural ties.” It emphasizes that any effort to undermine their identity in the proposed state is unacceptable.
Furthermore, empirical data supports Sagamu as the capital, given the rapid growth and development in Remo-Land over the past three decades. The position of making Remo-Land or Sagamu the commercial capital has already been established by circumstance and needs no further validation.
Aare Kola Oyefeso has urged Governor Dapo Abiodun and Senator Otunba Gbenga Daniel, representing Ogun East, to support the aspirations of the Remo people, encouraging them to consider the implications of their actions for future generations.
