The people of Ayede Ekiti in Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Monday accused Governor Kayode Fayemi of using his position, against history, to oppress them by erasing the due place of the community from the newly created local government development areas.
Under the aegis of Ayede Progressives Union, the people, who said that the community was on the frontline in the area, accused the governor of demeaning the status of the community by locating the headquarters of Ifesowapo LCDA in Isan Ekiti, his hometown, “at the expense of Ayede Ekiti.”
But, the Ekiti State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Akin Omole, has dismissed the allegation.
The President, Ayede Progressives Union, Dr. Ayo Ajayi, who spoke on the issue while addressing journalists in Ado Ekiti, urged the governor to reconsider his position and factor the community in, saying, “Ayede has not been treated well on the issue of LCDA creation.
“Ayede Ekiti has the historical and economic backgrounds and, therefore, legitimate right to claim the headquarters of an LCDA where we are principal stakeholders.
“Ayede Ekiti people and the majority of the towns in the district had already agreed on the name of the LCDA as Ifesowapo, with Ayede Ekiti as the headquarters through the committee set up by the monarchs.
“Ayede Ekiti is better qualified as LCDA headquarters, he said.
“The town was headquarters of Ayede District as far back as 1936, which had other component towns like Ijelu, Iyemero, Omo Odo, Ipao Ekiti, Itapaji, Oke Ako, and Irele under it,” he added.
Kayode Adetifa, former chairman of Oye Local Government, said that in the 1963 census, Isan Ekiti had a population of 4,491, while Ayede had 13,363, which, he said, gave Ayede a better prospect to be considered for development.
“When governors Adeniyi Adebayo and Ayodele Fayose were governors, they didn’t relocate the headquarters of Irepodun/Ifelodun to their towns. But Governor Fayemi used his position to underrate Ayede Ekiti.
“We are not going to serve under Isan Ekiti. We will prefer to stand alone. Governor Fayemi has not been fair to us, enough is enough,” Adetifa said.
But, the State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Akin Omole, who dismissed the allegation of nepotism levelled against the governor, said that the processes that culminated in the creation of the LCDAs were fair, transparent and justiciable.
“The process was fair and credible. Governor Fayemi did it to improve development at the grassroots. So, I appeal to Ayede Ekiti people to write formally to the government and make their grievances known.
“This is a democracy, constructive engagement with government can resolve so many issues and I advise that they engage the government on this issue,” Omole said.