Movement and commercial activities were on Saturday paralysed for several hours by protesters who took to the streets to vent their anger over the alleged relocation of the Federal College of Education (FCE) meant to be located in Omuo Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti East Local Council to Ilawe Ekiti.
It could be recalled that the Bill seeking the establishment of the Federal College of Education, Omuo Ekiti, was sponsored by Senator Biodun Olujimi, and was passed by both chambers of the 9th National Assembly.
Scores of protesters including youths, women and traditional rulers from Omuo Ekiti, trooped to the streets as early as 9.00am to protest the alleged injustice meted to them by relocating the college to another community.
Some of the placards displayed by the protesters read: “On Omuo FCE we stand! No more! No less”; “This injustice must be redressed”; “Return Our FCE Back to Us”; “Don’t Rob Peter to Pay Paul, FCE Belongs to Omuo Ekiti”, among others.
Travellers going to Abuja and those passing through the major highway in the town to Lagos, Ado Ekiti and neighbouring Ondo State experienced delays as the roads were barricaded.
The protesters rebuffed efforts by the Nigerian Police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies drafted to maintain law and order, and ensure free flow of traffic.
Speaking during the protest, a leader in the community, Chief Segun Akanle, appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the state Governor, Mr. Abiodun Oyebanji, to come to the rescue of Omuo Ekiti by returning the FCE back to the town.
Akanle, who described indigenes of the community as law abiding, noted that Omuo Ekiti had been working for the establishment of the FCE for over 10 years, adding that a Bill establishing the institution was passed by both the 8th and 9th National Assembly and was only awaiting presidential assent.
He added: “We have 12 communities in Ekiti East and there is no federal or state presence in any of them. A bill establishing a College of Education has been passed and waiting for presidential assent before Ilawe people went through the backdoor to alter the location of the school.
“Why would the government establish two federal institutions in Ilawe and leave the remaining parts of the constituency. This is not acceptable.
“We have confidence in Tinubu to do the needful by righting the wrong and returning the FCE to Omuo Ekiti, where it rightly belongs,” he added.A paramount ruler in Ekiti East Local Council also condemned the alleged clandestine move to change the location of the school to Ilawe.
The Olomuo of Omuo Ekiti, Oba Noah Omonigbehin, said he was a participant at the public hearings on the establishment of the school in both the 8th and 9th Senate.
“We presented memo to the august legislative assembly. We wonder how someone who has not asked for a thing would be given. I urge President Tinubu to correct this injustice and return the institution to Omuo Ekiti,” he said.
