From Ayodele Ayodeji, Ado-Ekiti
Youths from the Ekiti East Local Government of Ekiti State yesterday urged President Bola Tinubu and the Governor of the state, Mr Abiodun Oyebanji to urgently intervene in the festering crisis that have trailed the purported citing of the Federal College of Education at Ilawe Ekiti.
The college was to be cited at Omuo Ekiti, the headquarters of the Ekiti East Local Government, following the passage of the bill seeking its establishment by the 9th National Assembly and awaiting presidential assent.
However, the alleged relocation of the FCE to Ilawe Ekiti has unsettled not only the residents of the Omuo Ekiti, but the people of the local government who saw the action as unfair and provocative leading to several peaceful protests.
Addressing joint press conference yesterday in Omuo Ekiti, the president of the youths, Fasiku Ayokunle said that the intervention of President Tinubu and Oyebanji have become imperative in the interest of justice, peace and good neighborliness between the two communities.
“We are begging the federal government ably led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and our dear loving governor Mr. Biodun Oyebanji who are well known for justice, equity and fair play to help us intervene and return the college of Education to the rightful owner; Omuo Ekiti.
“It should be known that Ilawe people are equally our kinsmen, we won’t want rancour between the two communities going forward. We are pleading with the concerned authorities to help us intervene and restore the FCE back to Omuo Ekiti.”
Ayokunle however said that the federal government should not keep the community waiting endlessly before righting the wrong so as to guarantee peace and avoid breakdown of law and order.
Speaking at the event, the Olomuo of Omuo Ekiti, Oba Noah Omonigbehin who led other monarchs from the local government to the joint press briefing, said it is still a wicked rumour that Ilawe has been given the FCE meant for his town, saying that such can’t stand because it is an injustice which has no place in the current administration.
“The day we attended the public hearing on the Bill establishing FCE Omuo Ekiti, I recollect that we have representatives of TERTFUND, we have the legal adviser for tertiary institution for Nigeria and I also recollect that after our presentation at the session, there was a question by the chairman of the committee saying whether there was any opposition to the citing of the FCE in Omuo, Ekiti State, there was nobody that opposed the location of the college to Omuo.
“That same bill was taken to the House of Representatives for concurrence and it was presented by Honourable Femi Bamisile. It was also passed in the House, meaning that the due processes for the establishment were duly followed. These are notorious facts that can’t be controverted.
“We want to say that there is a limit to human endurance; we have been pacifying the youths everyday, appealing to them that we don’t want negative action, that can cause chaos in Ekiti. We are appealing to Oyebanji to urgently intervene and restore sanity.
“When there was a crisis over the location of the law school between Ilawe and Ifaki Ekiti, I remember Alawe asked a question which I am going to ask him now, when did he appear before the public hearing of the Senate on Tertiary institution. I said I was invited by the 8th and 9th Assembly, when was he (Alawe) invited to attend such a distinguished committee of the National Assembly.
” It is a notorious fact that 109 Senators and 360 members of the House of Reps acceded to the establishment of FCE in Omuo Ekiti. How come Ilawe in this picture? You can’t rob Peter to pay Paul.”
Also speaking on behalf of other monarchs, the Elekota of Kota Ekiti, Oba Emmanuel Fagbemi, said that Ekiti East Local Government shares boundary with Ondo, Kogi and Kwara States, “we have the resources and the potential students that will fill the institution. We appeal to Governor Oyebanji to intervene and allow us to have a government presence in this part of the state.
End.
