From Priscilla Ediare, Ado Ekiti
The people of Omuo Ekiti, Ekiti East Local Government Area of Ekiti State, on Saturday, staged a protest in the community.
They were protesting against the alleged relocation of the Federal College of Education( FCE) from their community to Ilawe Ekiti.
The protesters comprising men, women, youths, community leaders and traditional rulers from the community trooped to the streets as early as 9:00 am to protest the alleged injustice meted to them by relocating the FCE meant for the town to another community.
It would be recalled that the Bill seeking the establishment of the Federal College of Education, Omuo Ekiti, was sponsored by the Senator Representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, Senator Biodun Olujimi and was passed by both chambers of the 9th National Assembly.
The Alawe of Ilawe Ekiti, His Royal Majesty, Oba Adebanji Ajibade Alabi, AFUNTADE 1, had in a statement on Friday, expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for the establishment of a Federal College of Education in Ilawe Ekiti.
According to the statement, “The establishment came as a result of the several requests made to the Federal Government on the establishment of a higher institution in Ilawe-Ekiti by the Alawe which started sometime in 2016 and supported by patriotic Ilawe indigenes. “
The protest which lasted for several hours obstructed vehicular movements and paralysed economic and commercial activities as many travellers going to Abuja and those passing through the major highway in the town to Lagos, Ado Ekiti and neighbouring Ondo State, experienced difficulties using the roads as they were barricaded.
The protesters in their hundreds brandished various placard inscriptions and chanted solidarity songs to register their displeasure.
The placards read: “On Omuo FCE we stand! No more! No less; This injustice must be redressed Return Our FCE back to us; Don’t rub Peter to pay Paul, FCE belongs to Omuo Ekiti, among others.
Efforts by the Nigerian Police, the Directorate of State Service and other security agencies drafted to maintain law and order to prevail on the angry protesters to allow free flow of traffic, were rebuffed.
Earlier, the Olomuo of Omuo Ekiti, His Royal Majesty, Oba Noah Omonigbehin, had directed that all markets, shops and other businesses in the community must remain closed for the day.
Speaking on the development, Oba Omonigbehin said that he was a participant at the public hearings by the Senate leading to the establishment of the school in both the 8th and 9th sessions.
“We presented a 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.”
A leader in the community, Chief Segun Akanle, appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Biodun Oyebanji to come to the rescue of Omuo Ekiti by returning the Federal College of Education back to the town.
Akanle who described the citizens of the community as law-abiding, noted that Omuo Ekiti has been working for the establishment of the FCE for over ten years, adding that, a bill establishing the institution has been passed by both the 8th and 9th National Assembly and only awaiting presidential assent.
“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 the President’s assent before the 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 President Tinubu to do the needful by righting the wrong and return the Federal College of Education to Omuo Ekiti where it rightly belongs.”
Also reacting to the development, two prominent paramount rulers in Ekiti East Local Government condemned the alleged clandestine move to change the location of the school to Ilawe Ekiti.