The Ekiti State Government has promised not to abuse the laws in the establishment of independent communities through autonomy, saying such privilege will only be granted to towns who met the threshold set by the State Edict.
The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, spoke in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, while mediating in a protracted crisis between the Alayetoro of Ayetoro Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government, Oba Samuel Olufisan Ajayi and some elites over raging controversy trailing alleged missing transformers and chieftaincy tussles in the town.
In the petition, Oba Ajayi expressed disgust over the accusation by some of his top rating subjects that he masterminded the selling of six transformers donated to the community, describing this as not only defamatory, but derogatory to his stool and personality.
Addressing the stakeholders at the troubleshooting parley, Mrs Afuye, said it was utterly wrong and worrisome for those peddling the rumour against the monarch to have resorted to blackmail without verifiable evidence.
She warned that the community stands the risk of suffering collective credibility crisis should the proponents of the accusation failed to cease from spreading such rumour capable of blighting the integrity of Ayetoro indigenes nationally and globally.
As a way of placating the warring factions and restore peace to the beleaguered town, Mrs Afuye appealed to those involved to sheath their swords and work toward the development of Ayetoro by way of making concession for speedy resolution of the issue.
Mrs Afuye called on the monarch and the concerned elites to jointly compose a committee to resolve the matter and report to the government within a reasonable period of time, so that all the relevant members of the town can be on the same page to attract development to Ayetoro Ekiti.
On the issue of autonomy being craved by some sections of the community, Mrs Afuye said no town will be granted such opportunity without meeting the threshold set by the government, urging those mooting the idea to bury such thought.
“Stability and the progress of every town is paramount to Governor Biodun Oyebanji. Kabiyesi must have made some mistakes, but the elites must rally round him to bring development. You have nothing to profit in your king being arrested over issue that could have been resolved internally. Your matter even got worse by involving police from Ondo State in Kabiyesi’s arrest. This was wrong and bad.
“I learnt some of you are pursuing autonomy. This is not a bad ambition. But we have a law that regulates that. Governor Biodun Oyebanji won’t abuse the autonomy law. It will only be given to communities that meets the standards”.
Rallying support for the position Canvassed by the Deputy Governor, the Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Home Affairs, Hon. Ojo Atibioke, warned the community against pursuing unnecessary autonomy that can divide the town, saying such will further disunite the people and create atmosphere of crisis.
Atibioke stated that the issue of transformer could have been resolved amicably if there wasn’t any underlying chieftaincy tussle already on ground before the matter originated, which he said made it imperative for all the Chieftaincy matters to be handled with caution and sincerity.
“Let all of you go and work in the committee that you are going to compose to settle this matter. Again, chieftaincy is very important to stability. Let us get it right, because it is responsible for some of the problems we are facing in our communities. It will be a shame for you to come here again to re-present this matter”.
Speaking to his petition, Oba Ajayi, revealed that former Minister of Education, Prof. Aborisade donated the seven refurbished transformers to the community in 2007, which he said were installed, but later got balkanised by thieves due to the fact that they were located at the outskirts of the town.
The traditional ruler, who accused two personalities: Hon. Owoola Ogunsanmi and Archbishop Olukayode Akinyemi of fanning the ember of disunity and spreading phantom accusations against him, lamented that he was arrested based on the allegation and taken to Police Commands, both in Ado and Akure, Ondo State, despite his coveted position.
The monarch, who appreciated the government’s efforts in resolving the matter, denied selling the transformers as being alleged, saying they were destroyed by thieves and efforts to repair them by his traditional council proved abortive.
Responding to the allegation of dividing the kingdom, Archbishop Olukayode Akinyemi and Hon Owoola Ogunsanmi refuted the claims, saying they only made a case for their people at Oponu Quarters and took actions to stop the monarch from relegating Ajaguna chieftaincy title in the community.
They alleged the monarch of being responsible for the deep seated disunity through arbitrary movements of transformers and illegal sale of lands that culminated in series of litigations, saying the monarch should be blamed, rather than them.
The Chairman of Ido/Osi Local Government Area, Hon. Bamidele Omoleye, appealed to the community to resolve the matter using internal mechanisms suggested by government, commending Oyebanji-led administration for mediating to put an end to the matter that started in 2021.