Leadership of Iree Community in Boripe Local Government area of Osun State has cautioned members of road transport unions in the area not to plunge the ancient town into crisis.

The warning is coming on the heels of crisis currently brewing in the town occasioned by an alleged refusal of the transporters to relocate their parking bay to the designated location.

The attention of Iree community, especially the leadership, has been drawn to the deliberate falsification and manipulation of facts and cheap blackmail by members of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria,Iree branch against Chief Yinka Adeojo, the Oluomo of Iree land and former Secretary of PDP in the state.
The true position of the land in dispute is that, the place is a setback to the road from Ikirun to Ila in front of Iree Post Office.The place was originally granted to Oluomo Adeojo by Aree-in-Council but before he could put the place into any productive use,the transport union during the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, decided to occupy it through the instrumentality of government of the day as a temporary loading bay and not a motor park” they noted

They explained further that “a large portion of land that used to be the market in the middle of the town had been granted to the National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW) before the RTEAN decided to create its own park,which was initially resisted by the NURTW but after some months, the two unions reconciled and were making use of the temporary loading bay ,thereby abandoning the original designated motor park”

The community leaders lamented that the development started causing obstruction at the small loading bay at the expense of the smooth flow of traffic and other inconveniences caused by the drivers.”The problem got to the peak the day armed robbers attacked the two banks at Iree.It became obvious that the issue of the motor park needed to be revisited and the community under the auspices of Iree Progressive Association, approached the local government administration to request for the movement of the loading bay to the motor park designated for the purpose besides SM Afolabi road where the space is sufficient for the operation of the two unions.
The leadership did not do this by fiat but through due consultations with all the stakeholders;the drivers unions,market women and men,shop owners, security agents,liquor sellers,religious leaders and many others. In fact, the Divisional Police Headquarters will also be relocated to a more conducive place that would make their operation easy”
The IPA executive wondered why the transporters were reneging on the agreement reached; stressing, “At the stakeholders meeting,everybody signed a prepared Memorandum of Understanding to ensure peaceful movement to the new areas designated for each stakeholders and for roadside traders to also keep away from the road so as to guarantee easy movement of the people and for easy surveillance by the security agents”

Continuing, they maintained that”The RTEAN was fully represented at the meeting and their Chairman signed the MOU on their behalf.Shortly after, the Union approached an Ikirun High Court by suing Boripe North LCDA, the HLA, some members of the IPA exco, Chief Yinka Adeojo and others.The case is still pending in court when the same Union resorted to media war and blackmail. If truly these people have faith and respect for our judiciary, why should they go to court and later resort to blackmail of a man who has done so much and have contributed so much to the political and social developments of Iree?

The community leaders however believe that the transporters were being used by some politicians in the town, asserting,”We are aware of the frustration of some former political office holders who’s stock in trade is thuggery and destabilization of the peace of the community. The community cannot sacrifice the economic benefits of the banks to the community on the altar of the selfishness of some transporters, moreso when the NURTW has not only agreed but moved to the original designated motor park in the former Obada Market.The truth is that, the decision to clear the road was a collective decision of the leadership of the community and no amount of intimidation or blackmail could make the leadership rescind the decision that was taken in the best interest of the community”