The Enemy Within: Why Oke-Ogun Suffers from Egocentrism, Not Marginalization

For decades, a singular, comforting narrative has dominated the political and social discourse of the Oke-Ogun region of Oyo State: 'Marginalization.' We have sung this song at every political gathering, written it in every communiqué, and preached it in our town halls. We blame the state government in Agodi. We blame Ibadan. We blame the system. 

But it is time to face a bitter, unvarnished psychological truth: Oke-Ogun is not entirely suffering from external marginalization; Oke-Ogun is suffering from internal egocentrism. The true bane of our development is not the governor's pen, but the selfishness, divisionism, and "pocket politics" of our own elites. We are the architects of our second-class status, building walls of division among ourselves while other regions build bridges to the future.

The Illusion of Progress: A Region Divided by Micro-Identities

Take a critical look at the landscape of our beloved region. The majority of the "who is who" in Oke-Ogun are fundamentally incapable of working together. We are trapped in a tragic web of micro-nationalism. 

Instead of a unified front, we hear toxic sentiments: "I am from Saki, you are from Ago-Are," or "I am from Iseyin, you are from Kishi."This parochial mindset has completely blinded our elites to the collective good. A brilliant developmental proposal from a son of Ago-Are is fiercely rejected or sabotaged by a leader in Saki, simply because of territorial ego. 

Consequently, Oke-Ogun is saturated with an alphabet soup of regional associations. We have "Oke-Ogun Developmental This" and "Oke-Ogun Progressive That," yet there is absolutely nothing tangible on the ground to justify their existence. These groups operate in silos, driven by the ego of their founders rather than the emancipation of the land. 

The Tragedy of Pocket Politics and the Agodi Handouts

The most heartbreaking betrayal comes from our political class. To the average Oke-Ogun politician, the concept of developmental projects for the entire town is alien. Their political ideology begins and ends with their personal bank accounts. 

When our political representatives and self-acclaimed leaders visit the Governor’s office at Agodi, they do not carry the heavy burden of our bad roads, failing schools, or moribund facilities. Instead, once the Governor dispenses a palliative of one or two million naira into their private pockets, they return home as the Governor's chief praise singers. 

To them, as long as their pockets are lined, the Governor is the best thing to happen to Oyo State. The cries of the masses, the noise of the youths, and the decay of the region mean absolutely nothing. They have traded the generational wealth and infrastructural emancipation of millions for fleeting, individual stipends. 

The Silence of the Crown: Our Obas Must Wake Up

In traditional Yoruba philosophy, the Oba is the fierce protector of his people—the 'Aláṣẹ Èkejì Òrìṣà'. Yet, in Oke-Ogun, our Royal Fathers have failed to unite and speak with one formidable voice for the emancipation of the region. 

Segmented by supremacy battles and deeply afraid of the political class, the Obas have largely become passive observers of our collective decline. A divided council of traditional rulers makes it easy for politicians to conquer the region piecemeal. If our Obas do not discard their fears, unite under a common purpose, and demand accountability, history will record that they watched while the heritage of their ancestors was traded for political crumbs.

The Sabotage of True Vision: The Fate of Egbe Ajosepo

Whenever genuine efforts are made to rescue the region, the saboteurs are not outsiders; they are our own people. 

A glaring example is Egbe Ajosepo, a group that birthed the vision of true regional emancipation with the "Oke-Ogun Lokan"agenda. What happened? The very same elites, politicians, and "who is who" in Oke-Ogun were the first to mock, ridicule, and sabotage the agitation. They sacrificed a visionary movement for regional pride on the altar of their subservient loyalty to external political godfathers.

Learning from the Giants: The Power of a Unified Umbrella

We must look beyond our borders and learn how serious regions operate. 

Ibadan: The Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) speaks with one voice. 

Kwara State: The Igbomina people have a united front that dictates their developmental pace. 

Offa:The Offa Descendants Union (ODU) does not wait for the Kwara State Government. Through sheer unity, they facilitate massive developmental projects individually and as a group.

Ogun State: The Yewa people continue to push a unified front for their survival.

When the state government is not forthcoming, these formidable pressure groups bypass the state, pull their resources together, and facilitate federal projects and private investments into their lands. Oke-Ogun has billionaires, top-tier academicians, and federal civil servants. Why are we begging for what we can build?

The Ultimate Call to Action: ODCF Must Take Charge

It is time to collapse these countless, ineffective forums. We need just ONE formidable pressure group. 

The Oke-Ogun Development Consultative Forum (ODCF) must wake up from its deep slumber. ODCF must rise to the occasion and take absolute charge of the affairs of the region. The time for issuing passive press releases is over.

ODCF must urgently convene a genuine, high-level, Pan-Oke-Ogun Summit across all our zones. At this summit, we must look each other in the eye and tell ourselves the bitter truth:

1. Let us calculate what our disunity has cost us in the years past.

2. Let us analyze exactly why we are being treated as second-class citizens in a state where we hold significant voting and economic power.

3. Let us forge a binding pact that forces our politicians, Obas, and elites to prioritize the region over their pockets.

If we do not kill the egocentrism within, the marginalization from without will eventually consume us. The morning is far spent; the evening approaches. Oke-Ogun must unite now, or forever remain a tenant in the political and economic landscape of Oyo State. 

David Alani Ige

Phunshor01@gmail.com 

 Publisher Ayekooto Media NG 

07039641096

An Ayekooto Media Strategic Editorial — The Unvarnished Truth & Philosophical Reflection