The governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, said that Tongeji Island is a Nigerian territory and that the Republic of Benin is not claiming the oil-rich enclave.
Abiodun provided the explanation during a courtesy call at his Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta office from Rear Admiral Mustapha Bala Hassan, the Flag Officer Commanding of the Nigerian Navy’s Western Naval Command.
The governor claims that the island and its inhabitants have always been a part of Ogun State and have no ties to any other nation.
“Tongeji Island is an area that has been under our radar. Sadly, I have not been able to visit there. I have planned to visit several times. The former Chief of Naval Staff at a point in time wanted us to go with the former Flag Officer Commanding, but something happened that day, and we could not go,” he said.
Abiodun said he had raised the matter with the President of Benin Republic on two occasions that Tongeji Island belonged to Nigeria and he never disputed, contrary to speculations around.
“I agree that we mark that area with our presence by providing services for the people. The jetty that you mentioned, I will tell our Ministry of Works to go there and take a look so we can put a cost implication to that. You mentioned the issues of power, water supply, and Primary Healthcare Centre. Those ones, we can immediately swing into action when we go there”.
“If we are claiming that it is our territory, they must see us providing some services for our people and this has been brought to the fore a few times that our people there are complaining that we are not looking after them. We will immediately begin to provide them with those services,” the governor assured.
Ogun Waterside experienced security problems in the past when Niger Delta residents broke into the region and committed crimes, Abiodun noted, pointing out that the area needed a naval presence. Ogun Waterside is close to Delta.
He maintained that the Nigeria Navy’s presence would be greatly appreciated because the towns in the area could only be reached by water and that his administration’s attempts to provide security to the locals resulted in the purchase of gunboats for the police.
Speaking earlier, Rear Admiral Mustapha Hassan, who is the 44th Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, lauded the State for its conducive business environment, which has made it the industrial hub of the nation and emphasised the need for the state to work towards becoming an oil producing State through the Tongeji Island.
He said the force had spread its operations to Tongeji to safeguard not only the lives of Nigerians living on the Island, but to protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria and all its assets, appealing to the governor to provide jetties for seamless operations there.
Hassan also pleaded with the state government to provide the inhabitants of the Island with a health facility, water supply and electricity to make them have a sense of belonging, suggesting also that the government could turn the Island to a tourism centre because of its potential.
