Leaders and youth in the recently established Ifesowapo Local Council Development Authority (LCDAs) in Ondo State have declined the chairman and vice-chairman appointed by the state government.
Similar circumstances unfolded in the Odigbo council area, where some leaders, led by their monarch, the Orunja of Odigbo kingdom, Oba Rufus Adegboyega Akinrinmade Adebusoye, opposed the appointment of Hon Eucharia Nwamara as the vice-chairman of the Local Council Development Area (LCDA).
Addressing the press in Akure, the state capital, the Araromi Obu Youth Development Council called for the withdrawal of the appointment of Olarewaju Makinde and Mr. Giwa Rasheed as the chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of Ifesowapo Local Council Development Authority.
Their chairman, Adesanoye Akinbinu, and General Secretary, Dayo Akinro, stated that the rejection of the two appointees was based on the belief that their nomination and appointment did not align with the spirit of fairness to Araromi-Obu as the host community and the town’s indigenous people.
According to them, “this appointment is considered a slap, insult and embarrassment on the face of an average indigene of Araromi-Obu, considering the fact that the council is newly created thus having non indigene as the pioneer head in the administration of the council negate the spirit of fairness and sense of belonging as indigene of a community like ours should enjoy.”
“Furthermore, their appointment is considered as insult to the collective sensibility and it is set to deepen the age long conspiracy against the interest of our community if not rescinded. To this extent we reject them also the gods of our land reject them”.
They therefore demanded “the withdrawal of Mr. Olarewaju Makinde as the chairman of the caretaker committee of Ifesowapo Local Council Authority and replace him with an indigene of Araromi-Obu in the interest of fairness and justice and considering your indelible antecedents in the fight against injustice in our national life.”
mmittee members appointed to the newly created 33 LCDAs alongside 26 other caretaker chairmen for the council areas.
She was the Councillor representing Ore Ward, before her appointment as the vice chairman of the new LCDAs in the council area.
Recall that the 26 caretaker chairmen and those of the LCDAs were screened and approved by the state House of Assembly on Tuesday.
Leaders and youths in the council area had protested against alleged planned imposition of Nwamara as chairman of the Odigbo LCDA in August this year.
They said it was wrong for a non-Yoruba to be the pioneer chairman of the new LCDA.
The protesters were led by their traditional ruler, the Orunja of Odigbo kingdom, Oba Rufus Adegboyega Akinrinmade, Adebusoye, who insisted that such aberration would not be allowed by the residents of Odigbo.
They protested to the governor’s office after several protest in their council area.
Meanwhile, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, while reacting to the appointment of the caretakers committee members for the councils and LCDAs, said that their screening and approval violated the 1999 constitution and the local government system, establishment and administration, and other auxiliary matters law of Ondo state 2006.