The Oke-Ogun Development Consultative Forum (ODCF) has called on all indegens of the region anywhere in the world to contribute towards the ongoing socioeconomic revamping of the area.
The group at its expansive meeting held at Iseyin on Saturday, deliberated on ways out to stamp out criminalities in the ten local government areas that make up the region.
In a media parley after the meeting, the ODCF Chairman, Barrister Ahmed Raji told journalists that the focus of the meeting was primarily to engage security agencies in the zone to know their challenges and ways to improve on their efforts to combat cases of kidnapping, armed robbery, farmer-herder clashes among others.
Raji went further to say that deliberations also touched on the need for unity of purpose in the efforts of the forum to consolidate the federal and State government’s developmental policies and projects.
The occasion, which was witnessed by indigenes of the area who are professionals, businessmen and women, government officials and politicians, had in attendance the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Sefiu Olawale Oyebola, Adeyeri 111, the Okere of Saki, Oba Khalid Olabisi and other notable monarchs from Oke-Ogun, who appealed for unity and collective harmony for growth to happen in the area.
He said “we met purposely to review the activities of the forum on our set out goals of developing our region in the areas of socioeconomic progress of the areas and the people therein, this cannot be realized if security is not available, that is why we held a closed session with heads of security agencies to know their areas of challenges and how the forum can come in to help.
“While appreciating their efforts at eradicating vices like kidnapping in our region, we charge them to make better use of synergy with local vigilante groups to achieve more in nipping in the bud, cases of kidnapping and armed robbery, as well as clashes between farmers and herders.”
The meeting, according to the Chairman called on sons and daughters of Oke-Ogun at home and abroad to heed the clarion call towards the urgent need to rebuild the region’s economy for sustainable human and infrastructural development.
He added that all Oke-Ogun communities should firstly see themselves as a unit of the big picture of the region and should do everything to project the unity of the ten local government areas.
“We call for the unity of all in Oke-Ogun, it has to be Oke-Ogun first before any sectoral interest, everybody should not just mouth Oke-Ogun unity and progress, they should be seen acting it out as well.
“All Oke-Ogun indigenes in strategic national positions and political offices should gird their loins henceforth for the work ahead to reposition our zone for socioeconomic benefits,” the lawyer hinted.
The meeting also frowned at the habits of families selling lands to foreigners without proper understanding about the purpose of purchase, as the strangers, who have high-powered technologies to know the mineral resources under the land later mine the land illegally and without due compensation to the family or government.