Residents of Ewekoro Town in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State on Friday disowned a protest staged at the gate of the plant of the H.B.M. Nigeria Plc (formerly known as Lafarge Africa Plc), calling on Governor Dapo Abiodun and security agencies to intervene.
The residents, including women and youths, staged a counter rally displaying placards with inscriptions such as “Baale Suraju Olatunde Adebowale is our Baale in Ewekoro Town”, “The Olowu of Owu Kingdom is the authority over Ewekoro Town”, “Ewekoro Town is under Papalanto Ward”, and “Ewekoro Town is under Owu Kingdom”.
Speaking during the protest, a representative of the community, Adebowale Adeola Abdulrahmon said the people of Ewekoro were not part of the July 21 gate blockage or any court action against the company.
“We are not part of it, we didn’t authorise it,” he said, urging the state government and the police to wade in to prevent the crisis from escalating.
He stated that Ewekoro Town has been under Papalanto Ward from time immemorial and is under the traditional authority of the Olowu of Owu Kingdom.
Abdulrahmon also addressed allegations that Oba Saka Matemilola, Olowu of Owu Kingdom, is withholding community funds from H.B.M. Nigeria, describing the claim as false and baseless.
His words: “The government has to call them to order because what they did initially, we are not part of it and we are not in support of it. So the government should please help us to call them and tell them that what they have done so far is against the law of this Ewekoro land.”
On the role of security agencies, he added: “What we want is if the police is going to intervene on this matter, they should try as much as possible to help us to invite them, so that we should be able to tell them we are not in support of what they just did or demonstrated of recent.”
He further clarified that Ewekoro is under Papalanto Ward and under the traditional authority of the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, and disowned an individual parading himself as Olori-Odo and any alleged court case against the company.
Ewekoro residents disown alleged protest, seek govt, police intervention