Crisis In Ekiti Over HQ Of New LCDAs; Community Protests Sudden Relocation

By Ayodele Oni

A once peaceful and united Communities in Ekiti state are being torn apart by the recently created Local Council Development Areas, (LCDA).

A report monitored on Progress FM, an arm of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, (FRCN) indicated that three communities are protesting against the sudden relocation of the headquarters of the LCDA from their domain.

The communities, Ikoro, Ipoti and Ilasa, expressed surprise about the sudden replacement of their names, accusing the committee saddled with the responsibility of midwifing the take off of the new councils of being responsible.

When signing into law, the bill for the creation of the LCDAs, Governor Kayode Fayemi announced a committee, headed by the attorney general, Mr Olawale Fapohunda to midwife the take off of the new councils.

According to the report, the issue of Ikoro and Ipoti in Ijero Local Government is about being resolved between the two communities, following a meeting by the committee with the two towns.

However, in Ekiti East Local Government,where Ekiti South East was created with headquarter at Ilasa, as stated in the law, a new name, Isaya, appeared on the list in custody of the committee.

This led to a peaceful protest on Sunday with the People of Ilasa blocking free flow of vehicles and preventing worshippers access to churches.

The President of Ilasa Development Union, Barr. Tajudeen Ahmed accused the Chairman, LCDA implementation committee, who doubles as the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ekiti State of being  unjust and unfair.

“Contrary to what was in the draft copy of the Creation of Additional Local Government Areas in Ekiti State (Second Amendment) Law 2021: No 9 of 2021, which was a law meant to amend the Creation of Additional Local Government Area in Ekiti State (Amendment) Law, 2014; the purported Press Release of the Chairman LCDA Implementation Committee made Isaya Ekiti the headquarter of Ekiti South East LCDA wondering the sudden change.

“Members of our community and other well-wishers were thrown into jubilation when an online version of the 2021 LCDA Law became surfaced and the name Ilasa Ekiti was appropriately reflected as the headquarter of Ekiti South East LCDA.

“But our joy was shortlived and shattered when the contents of the purported Press Release of the Hon. Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, who doubles as the Chairman, Ekiti State Committee for the Implementation of LCDA was made public on 12th August 2021, wherein Isaya Ekiti was named as the headquarters of Ekiti South East LCDA.

“From the very beginning, Ilasa Ekiti has been the head of the entire axis that constituted the newly created Ekiti South East LCDA, noting that Isaya Ekiti, a recently created community, couldn’t and would never be headquarter of an LCDA that would include the ancient town of Ilasa Ekiti.

“When Government decided to carve constituency II out of the existing Ekiti East Local Government Area and constitute same into Ekiti South East LCDA in 2014 vide Creation of Addition Local Government Areas in Ekiti State Law 2014, No 8 of 2014; Isokan – a non-existing community was named as the headquarter, but the LCDA was appropriately situated in Ilasa Ekiti.

“As at that time, Isaya Ekiti was yet to be an independent community. As matter of fact, Kota Ekiti where Isaya was later carved out was a year old as an independent and autonomous town.

“It is on the basis of such that Ilasa Ekiti community shouted to high heavens and beseech the authorities to amend the headquarter of Ekiti South East LCDA to read the real host community of the LCDA, which is Ilasa Ekiti.

Barrister Ahmed insisted Ilasa Ekiti was not willing to concede the headquarter of Ekiti South East LCDA to any other community other than Ilasa, because it has been the natural head of the communities in the LCDA for ages.

Besides, the Alasa of Ilasa Ekiti is the only grade A monarch in the whole of the LCDA while other Obas are in grade C category.

The community leader added that everything would be done to resist  the citing of headquarters of both Ekiti East Local Government and Ekiti South East LCDA at Omuo-Ekiti, saying the purported location of Ekiti South East LCDA at Isaya Ekiti amounts locating both the headquarter of Ekiti East Local Government and Ekiti South East LCDA in the same Omuo Ekiti.