Onyedega, Kogi State – The Ejeh of Ibaji, Hrh (Dr) Odiche John Egwemi, has appealed to Kogi State authorities to allocate the Chairmanship and Secretaryship of Kogi Oil Producing Area Development Commission (KOSOPADEC) to Ibaji, citing it as “the area that lays the golden eggs”.
“This is standard practice in Oil Producing Communities around Nigeria. He who wears a shoe knows where it pinches. Let Ibaji People play a vital role in managing the Oil found on their land,” Egwemi said in an interview with SummitPost on December 26, 2025.
The call aligns with Ibaji People’s aspirations, who’ve been seeking justice and equity following the amended KOSOPADEC Law of July 2025, which they deem “repugnant, oppressive, and unjust”.
“We appealed to Governor Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo to act in good faith and facilitate the reversal of the amended law,” stakeholders said in a statement. “Ibaji stood firmly with the present administration during the last elections… it’s unjust that we’re now subjected to policies undermining our dignity, voice, and future.”
It would be recalled that the federal government, through Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), had in 2022, recognised Kogi State as an oil-producing state. Same year, the former governor, Yahaya Bello, confirmed during a State Executive Council meeting that the had received its first 13 percent derivation funds.