Barely 24 hours after the Alawe of Ilawe Ekiti, Oba Ajibade Alabi expressed appreciation to the Federal Government over the establishment of a Federal College of Education to Ilawe, people of Omuo-Ekiti in the Ekiti East Local Government in their number on Saturday, took to the street to protest against the relocation of the Federal institution from their community.
The aggrieved protesters barricaded major roads in the community in the early hours of the day thereby paralyzing commercial and economic activities for several hours.
It was gathered that the announcement on Friday by the Alawe Oba Ajibade Alabi to the people of Ilawe that the FCE had been approved for the town by the Federal Government triggered the protest.
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 rub 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 had a hectic time finding their way out of the quagmire as the roads were barricaded.
In a reaction, the Olomuo of Omuo-Ekiti, Oba Noah Omonigbehin, directed that all markets, shops, and other businesses must remain closed for the day.
The traditional ruler said he had participated in 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 anything would be given. I urge President Tinubu to correct this injustice and return the institution to Omuo Ekiti,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the community, Chief Segun Akanle, a community leader, appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, to intervene and return the Federal College of Education back to Omuo Ekiti.
Akanle, who described the citizens of the community as law-abiding, noted that Omuo Ekiti had been working for the establishment of the FCE for over ten years. He added that a bill establishing the institution had been passed by both the 8th and 9th National Assembly and was 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 is waiting for presidential assent before Ilawe people went through the backdoor to alter the location of the school,” he said.
“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 Federal College of Education to Omuo Ekiti where it rightly belongs.”
