KEY POINTS

• Daniel says lawmakers are nearing agreement on the proposed Ijebu Remo state
• Unity between Ijebu and Remo communities seen as key to National Assembly approval
• Talks ongoing on the proposed state name and capital

Gbenga Daniel, a former governor of Ogun State and senator for Ogun East, says that efforts to turn the old Ijebu province into a new state are getting close to a point of broad agreement. The main problem now is getting everyone on the same page.

Daniel spoke to supporters and community leaders from the Ijebu and Remo blocs on Sunday at Ikoto Ijebu during a political tour of the Odogbolu Local Government Area. He said that talks about the proposal have come a long way, but he also said that success depends on everyone working together.

Daniel says that the National Assembly will only look at the request if the lawmakers are sure that everyone behind it is on the same page. He said that any sign of disagreement within the group could stop the process, no matter how far along the preparations are.

Unity seen as deciding factor

Daniel said that the proposed state was a long-held dream and a way to speed up development in the area. He also said that he had worked quietly within the legislature to make sure that all the rules were followed, and that the process of creating a state was so complicated that it needed careful planning.

The former governor said that the old Ijebu province has nine local government councils, and that leaving out any part would weaken the case. He told political and traditional leaders to put aside their differences and work together.

He said that the minimum requirement for success was not just paperwork, but also visible agreement among the people who would make up the state.

Daniel said that talks were still going on about the new state’s name and proposed capital. He said that progress had been made and that people were starting to agree on what the Ijebu Remo identity should be.

He warned that if they couldn’t agree internally, outside forces might be able to change the results in ways that didn’t reflect local preferences. He told people to take charge of the process while they could still have an impact on the final decisions.

The senator said that the next few weeks would be very important because talks are still going on in the region and at the federal level. He was sure that a united approach would make it more likely that the law would be passed.