Ekiti monarchs protest delay in council headquarters’ relocation

Allege shoddy implementation of apex court judgment

Four monarchs in Ilejemeje Local Council of Ekiti State, yesterday, led members of their communities to protest what they described as an alleged shoddy implementation of the Supreme Court judgment directing relocation of council headquarters from Iye-Ekiti to Eda-Oniyo.

The protesting traditional rulers are the Eleda of Eda-Oniyo, Oba Julius Awolola; Elewu of Ewu-Ekiti, Oba Bamidele Ajayi; Onijesha of Ijeshamodu, Oba Aderemi Daramola and Onipere of Ipere-Ekiti, Oba Omiyale Olufemi.

The Supreme Court had on December 14, 2018, in a unanimous judgment, ordered the state government to relocate the headquarters of Ilejemeje Local Council from Iye-Ekiti to Eda- Oniyo.

However, the traditional rulers alleged that three years after the said ruling by the apex court, there was no infrastructure put in place to accommodate the workers, thus forcing them to use uncompleted buildings and sit under the trees.

The protesting monarchs and residents, expressed their displeasure over the lack of infrastructure in the new headquarters, saying that some departments are still operating at the former headquarters in Iye-Ekiti, two years after the relocation.

Chairman of traditional rulers in Ilejemeje, Oba Ajayi, who spoke with journalists, said it smacks of injustice that two years after the council relocation to Eda-Oniyo, accompanying facilities are still in Iye-Ekiti.

He said that there was nothing to show that the local council exists in the town, as there were no structures and necessary facilities, adding the situation has grievously affected the masses and left the grassroots under-developed.

Oba Ajayi, therefore, appealed to Governor Kayode Fayemi to build a befitting secretariat and relocate the departments to Eda-Oniyo.

BUT reacting to the development, the Chairman of the council, Oladunjoye Akinola, confirmed the sorry state of the local council, saying that lack of facilities in the secretariat was taking its toll on effective service delivery.

He said: “Governor Fayemi was aware of the situation of things in Ilejemeje. Since we relocated to Eda-Oniyo, we have been managing. To this end, we have raised a memo to building a secretariat. So, we are waiting for approval from the state government.”