Offa/Erin-Ile: Kwara govt closes down motor parks, silent on compensation

[PeoplesDaily]

From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

Kwara State government on Thursday directed its Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to close down motor parks in Offa, Offa Local Government and Erin-Ile, Oyun Local government areas of the state which are alleged to be sources of rancour between the warring towns. Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Isiaka Gold who disclosed this during a press briefing did not say whether the state government would compensate those that lost their properties in the course of the deadly crisis between the communities.

While reading the position of the State Executive Council on the report of the Judicial Commission of Enquiry set up by the State Government on the crisis, Alhaji Gold said Offa and Erin-Ile branches of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) were implicated in the communal crisis and were henceforth proscribed.

"The proscription will remain in effect until the unions demonstrate that they have imbibed the spirit of co-operation and peaceful co-existence", he said.

Furthermore, government directed that Ajegunle motor park, Offa and Idi-Agba motor park, Erin-Ile, which were identified as major sources of recurring rancour between both communities are illegal parks and should therefore be closed down.

"Government directed the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to ensure that the motor parks which comply with the statutory distance of 5 kilometres between them are restored", he said.

The State government, according to the SSG, also directed that a peaceful platform and harmonious relationship be established between the two communities and should involve their traditional rulers, religious/opinion leaders, groups leaders as well as the Council of Chiefs among others for peaceful co-existence.

While speaking on compensation for properties destroyed, he said the report of the Commission of Enquiry recommended that government should take caution on it because the requests of the people were outrageous.

"Council looked critically at the report of the Commission of Enquiry. The report stated that some of the submissions were beyond reasonable and can't be defendable", he said.

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