From Gold Rahman, Lokoja
The Traditional Council of Chiefs and the entire people of Orokere-Amuro, have expressed strong objection to the proposed choice of Takete Ide as the headquarters of Amuro Local Government in the draft memo for the creation of Okun State.
Orokere-Amuro has the largest population as one of the seven constituent communities that make up Amuro in the Okun-Yoruba speaking community, Kogi West Senatorial District of Kogi State, Nigeria.
The community raised the objection in a letter addressed to the President-General of Okun Development Association (ODA)), signed by the President of Orokere Welfare Association (OWA), Mr Olusegun Peter, and made available to journalists on Monday in Lokoja.
The community expressed strong objection to the proposal, citing historical, traditional, and administrative reasons.
According to the community, Orokere Amuro is the historical head and de facto headquarters of Amuro, with a well-established hierarchical order among its seven constituent communities.
The community argued that the proposal to make Takete Ide the headquarters disregards historical precedence, natural order, and threatens long-standing harmony among the communities.
The community requested the Okun Development Association (ODA) to conduct an objective fact-finding mission into the history, traditional hierarchy, and socio-political setup of Amuro.
The association also requested that the proposal designating Takete Ide as headquarters be revised and Kajola, a location between Orokere-Amuro (old site) and Aiyede-Ile be proposed as a neutral and central location for the headquarters.
The community expressed concern that the ODA may have based its proposal on inadequate consultation or biased inputs, and called for wider and inclusive stakeholder engagement to prevent perceived injustice.
The Orokere community believed that Kajola, being geographically central and free of controversy, is a more suitable location for the headquarters.
The community urged ODA Leadership to uphold the principles of objectivity, fairness, justice, and inclusivity in this critical matter, which could affect the peaceful future of Amuro and Okun Land at large.
The community expressed appreciation for the good work of the ODA and assured the association of its continuous support and commitment to great ideals.
