… disassociates from fake publication made by some elements on 11th August, 2026 Over Ijesu day celebration
A notable Community in Ondo Central Senatorial District of the State, has cautioned the Senator representing the zone Sen. Adeniyi Adegbonmire and his counterpart from the Green chamber, Hon Festus Akingbaso with the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo (BTO) to stop associating with any group or individuals parading themselves as the community representatives.
The call was made in an open letter made available to Journalists at the weekend urging them not to honour anyone or any group standing -in for the community.
The entire people of the community sincerely appreciate the good works of Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu , the State governor, Hon Dr Lucky Aiyedatiwa over the good works going on in the community.
However, intervention or political gains for an individual or group of persons by these political leaders, that is Sen. Adeniyi Adegbonmire and Hon Festus Askingbaso should not be mistaken for the entire community as contained in a news published by an online news platform attributing appreciation to the community over a gesture that is unknown to the entire good people of the Community.
The Letter unequivocally Applauds President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the amiable governor of the state, Hon Dr Lucky Aiyedatiwa for the giant stride in making Ijare a psynochure of all eyes in Ondo Central Senatorial District of the State, has cautioned the Senator representing the zone Sen. Adeniyi Adegbonmire and his counterpart from the Green chamber, Hon Festus Akingbaso with the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo (BTO) to stop associating with any group or individuals parading themselves as the community representatives.
The call was made in an open letter made available to Journalists at the weekend urging them not to honour anyone or any group standing -in for the community.
The entire people of the community sincerely appreciate the good works of Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu , the State governor, Hon Dr Lucky Aiyedatiwa over the good works going on in the community.
However, intervention or political gains for an individual or group of persons by these political leaders, that is Sen. Adeniyi Adegbonmire and Hon Festus Akingbaso should not be mis-taken for the entire community as contained in a news published by an online news platform attributing appreciation to the community over a gesture that is unknown to the entire good people of the Community.
The Letter unequivocally Applauds President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the amiable governor of the state, Hon Dr Lucky Aiyedatiwa for the giant strides in making Ijare a synochure of all eyes
The Letter
OPEN LETTER TO OUR DISTINGUISHED HONORABLE MINISTER FOR INTERIOR, HON. DR. OLUBUNMI TUNJI-OJO (BTO), THE SENATOR REPRESENTING ONDO SENATORIAL DISTRICT, SENATOR ADENIYI ADEGBONMIRE, SAN AND HONOURABLE REPRESENTING THE GOOD PEOPLE OF IDANRE AND IFEDORE FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, HON. FESTUS OLANREWAJU AKINGBASO (FESSYWEST), ON IJARE COMMUNITY POSITION ON THE 11TH AUGUST 2026 PUBLICATION BY SUNSHINE NEWS MEDIA TITLED “IJARE PEOPLE CELEBRATE 2026 IJESU FESTIVAL, APPLAUD TUNJI-OJO, ADEGBONMIRE, AKINGBASO”
On behalf of the good people of Ijare, both at home and in the diaspora, we wish to express our profound appreciation to the Federal Government of Nigeria under the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the approval and attention given to the Ijare–Ikere Road project.
We consider the Federal Government’s intervention in this critical road infrastructure as a significant development capable of opening up Ijare, improving transportation, enhancing economic activities, facilitating movement of agricultural produce, strengthening inter-community relationships and contributing substantially to the socio-economic development of our people.
For decades, the condition and importance of the Ijare–Ikere axis have remained matters of concern to our people. Therefore, any genuine intervention aimed at addressing the infrastructural deficit along the route deserves the appreciation and support of the people of Ijare.
We also sincerely appreciate the Ondo State Government under the leadership of His Excellency Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa for its efforts towards the development of Ijare, particularly the approval and commencement of road construction of the Oke Odu–Ijare Road.
These interventions demonstrate that government infrastructure can have a direct and meaningful impact on the lives of ordinary citizens. We therefore commend the Federal and State Governments and encourage them to sustain and complete these projects to the highest possible standard.
While appreciating the governments for their developmental interventions, we find it necessary to respectfully address and clarify certain assertions contained in the publication dated 11th August 2026 by Sunshine News Media, titled: “Ijare People Celebrate 2026 Ijesu Festival, applaud Tunji-Ojo, Adegbonmire, Akingbaso.” The publication stated, among other things, that the people of Ijare expressed appreciation to Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo (BTO), Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire and Hon. Festus Akingbaso (Fessywest) for their support towards the successful celebration of the 2026 Ijesu/New Yam Festival. We wish to make it categorically clear that the publication should not be regarded as representing the unanimous position of the entire people of Ijare, either at home or in the diaspora.
We respect the constitutional offices occupied by these public officials and recognize their right to support individuals, groups, communities and causes within the limits of their responsibilities. However, appreciation for a particular intervention by a group or individuals should not automatically be presented as the collective position of the entire Ijare community without broad consultation.
If indeed the Honourable Minister, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire and Hon. Festus Akingbaso made financial or material contributions towards the 2026 Ijesu/New Yam Festival, we respectfully request that the details be made known to the people of Ijare. Specifically, we request clarification on: The exact amount or nature of support allegedly provided by each of the three public officials, the individuals, committees or organizations that received such funds or materials, the date through which the funds or materials were delivered, the individuals or committees responsible for managing the contributions, how the funds were expended, and the specific aspects of the 2026 Ijesu/New Yam Festival that benefited from each contribution.
This request is not intended to attack or embarrass anybody. Rather, it is a legitimate call for transparency, accountability and proper representation of the collective interest of Ijare.
If these contributions were made, we believe the people of Ijare deserve to know how they were utilized.
We equally wish to raise a broader concern regarding alleged empowerment programmes attributed to our political representatives. As a community, we have heard claims and reports of various empowerment interventions allegedly facilitated by some of our representatives. However, many ordinary people in Ijare have not seen or experienced sufficient evidence of the direct impact of such programmes within the community. We therefore respectfully challenge our representatives to provide the people with a clear account of the empowerment initiatives undertaken for Ijare.
Where empowerment programmes have been carried out, we request that the relevant representatives or coordinators make available, the name and description of the programme the date it was conducted, the number of beneficiaries from Ijare, the criteria used to select beneficiaries, the categories of items, grants, empowerments or opportunities provided, the names or verifiable records of beneficiary groups where appropriate, and the location and community impact of the programme.
This is particularly important because public empowerment programmes are meant to produce measurable benefits for the people, not merely publicity or political narratives. We are not saying that no individual from Ijare has ever benefited from any intervention. Rather, our concern is that the wider Ijare community has not seen sufficient, verifiable and impactful evidence of such interventions commensurate with what is publicly being claimed.
If there are beneficiaries and coordinators who have received such interventions, we respectfully invite them to come forward and provide the necessary information so that the community can properly appreciate and acknowledge their efforts.
We wish to remind our political representatives that representation is not simply about occupying an elected office or belonging to a particular political party. Representation is about impact, It is about roads that are constructed, youths that are empowered, students that receive educational support, farmers that receive assistance, businesses that receive opportunities, communities that receive meaningful development and citizens whose lives are positively transformed.
As constituents, the people of Ijare have legitimate expectations from those representing them at the Federal and State levels. We therefore call upon our representatives to do more in ensuring that Ijare receives tangible benefits from government programmes and constituency interventions. Our people should not have to depend solely on political promises, occasional visits, photographs or media publications. We deserve measurable development.
We also wish to state clearly that this letter is not an attack on APC political party or an endorsement of any particular candidate. Ijare is home to people of different political affiliations, and every citizen has the constitutional right to support the political party or candidate of his or her choice. However, as the next election approaches, we wish to remind all political actors that the people of Ijare will increasingly demand accountability based on performance, impact and commitment to community welfare. Political support should not be taken for granted. No candidate should assume that simply because he or she occupies a political office or belongs to a particular political party, the people of Ijare are automatically obligated to support such a candidate.
Our community deserves better. We shall continue to encourage our people to assess every candidate based on Performance, Integrity, Accessibility, Accountability Community impact, Capacity, Commitment to development, and genuine concern for the welfare of the people. If our representatives have performed excellently, let the evidence speak, If they have supported Ijare, let the projects and beneficiaries be identified, If they have empowered our youths, let the empowerment be documented, If they have attracted development to Ijare, let the community see and experience it and where there are shortcomings, we respectfully expect our representatives to acknowledge them and do better.
To our distinguished Honorable minister for Interior, Hon. Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo (BTO), the Senator representing Ondo Senatorial District, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire, SAN and Honourable representing the good people of Idanre and Ifedore federal constituency, Hon. Festus Olanrewaju Akingbaso (Fessywest), we say: Ijare respects your offices and acknowledges the responsibilities attached to them. We do not seek confrontation with any of our political holders, but we seek better representation, greater transparency and tangible development. If you have supported Ijare in ways that the wider community is unaware of, this is an opportunity to make such interventions known. If there are empowerment programmes already implemented, kindly provide the details and beneficiaries. If there are additional projects being planned, kindly communicate them to the community and If there are areas where Ijare has not received adequate attention, we appeal to you to correct the situation. We are not asking for political favours but we are asking for responsible representation.
While we commend the approval of the Ijare–Ikere Road by the Federal Government and the Oke Odu–Ijare Road by the Ondo State Government, we respectfully appeal for additional interventions in Ijare on youth employment and sustainable empowerment programmes, educational support and skills acquisition, agricultural development and support for farmers, Improved healthcare facilities, electricity and other basic infrastructure, water supply and sanitation, and programmes capable of stimulating sustainable economic development within the community. We believe that Ijare has the human resources, agricultural potential and strategic importance to deserve greater government attention.
For the avoidance of doubt, the people of Ijare do not reject genuine assistance from any individual, political office holder, organization or government. We welcome every genuine contribution towards the development of our community. However, we strongly believe that community development must be based on transparency, accountability, fairness and measurable impact. Accordingly, we respectfully dissociate the entire Ijare community from any assertion that the community, as a whole, has expressed appreciation to particular political representatives for interventions which have not been sufficiently communicated, documented or experienced by the wider community.
We therefore invite those who have made such contributions to provide the necessary clarification and accountability. At the same time, we commend the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the approval of the Ijare–Ikere Road and commend the Ondo State Government for the approval and commencement of road construction projects in Ijare. These are tangible government interventions which the people can identify with, and we sincerely appreciate them.
Ijare is not against any government, political party or individual. Ijare is simply asking for better representation. Our community has talented youths, hardworking farmers, professionals, entrepreneurs, students and citizens across Nigeria and the diaspora. We deserve development that reflects our population, potential and contributions to society. As elections approach, our message is therefore simple and unequivocal:
LET PERFORMANCE SPEAK.
LET ACCOUNTABILITY SPEAK.
LET DEVELOPMENT SPEAK.
LET THE INTEREST OF IJARE COME FIRST.
We will continue to respect every political office holder, but we will equally continue to demand responsible leadership and accountability from those entrusted with representing our people. Ijare deserves better. Ijare deserves measurable impact. Ijare deserves accountable representation . Ijare deserves development that can be seen, felt and sustained.
We remain committed to peace, unity, progress and the collective advancement of Ijare.
Signed:
For and on behalf of the Good People of Ijare, both at Home and in the Diasporal.
Cc.
Hon. Dipo Ajibola
The Local Government Chairman.
Egbe Omo Elewe Obi Executives
Major General Omoseebi (Rtd)
Eng Dr. Alex Akinyemi Oladimeji
Olori Oyinkansola Aroloye
Prince Adebola Faloyo
Barrister Bankole Oluwajana
Ijare APC chairman 1 and 2.
Hon Bamidele Olubunmi Ayodele (BOA)
Asiwaju Olumuyiwa Asagunla
