The panel of inquiry the Ondo State government set up on land disputes between the Araromi Obu and Ikale (Ago Alaaye) communities will commence public sitting today.
According to a press statement issued by the chairman of the panel, Barrister Tunde Atere, the hearing would provide a veritable opportunity for people who had submitted memoranda to the body to defend their positions, and for interested members of the communities to air their grievances.
Atere, who was the state’s immediate past Commissioner for Natural Resources, stated the hearing would hold at the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) building, formerly Ondo State Training School, Alagbaka, Akure, from Wednesday September 11 to Friday September 13, 2019.
The state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, constituted the five-man committee to probe the cause of the violent crisis between the two neighbouring communities on July 16 this year, which led to loss of lives and destruction of both public and private properties.
Towards getting to the root of the crisis, the panel had visited the palaces of the Abodi of Ikale, Oba George Faduyile, and Ajobu of Araromi, Oba Aderemi Adelola, to solicit their cooperation towards achieving its mandate.
The panel also did an on-the-spot assessment of disputed areas to ascertain the level of damages.
Atere pledged the state government’s commitment to do justice on the matter by being fair to all sides in the course of its recommendations.