By Emmanuel Okafor
The people of Orun-Ekiti, in Ise-Orun local government area of Ekiti State, have appealed to both the Federal and Ekiti state governments to halt the establishment of a Federal College of Agriculture at Ise-Ekiti, until the boundary dispute between Orun-Ekiti, Emure-Ekiti and Ise-Ekiti, pending before the Ekiti State Boundary Commission is resolved.
Some leaders of the community, the National President, Orun Progressive Union, Mr Samuel Ogunjemilua, and Chief Joel Adeboboye Oloye, who made the plea while addressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti, debunked what they referred to as false claim by a member representing Ekiti South Federal Constituency 1, in the House of Representatives of the 10th Assembly, Hon. Rufus Adeniyi Ojuawo, on the establishment of the College.
They alleged that the bill for the establishment of the Federal College of Agriculture was initiated by Senator Biodun Olujimi, representing Ekiti South in the 9th Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. According to them”, the bill sought to establish the College in Ise-Orun. The bill was not assented to by the former President Muhammadu Buhari”.
The Orun-Ekiti spokesmen described the development as an affront on the community, alleging that the lawmaker, Ojuawo, is using closeness to the powers-that-be to trample on them, and that they won’t remain adamant in the face of such a glaring unfair claim and treatment. They said”, on resumption of Hon. Rufus Adeniyi Ojuawo, -from Ise-Ekiti, to the House of Representatives in the 10th Assembly, he caused the bill be represented and fraudulently deleted the name of Orun-Ekiti”.
They further alleged that their Counsel, Tokunbo Aderinboye in a letter written on behalf of Orun-Ekiti, dated 11th June, 2024, urged the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, to put on hold the location of the college in Ise-Ekiti, until the final determination of the boundary dispute before Ekiti State Boundary Commission. ”It is however a great surprise that despite our letter dated 11th June, 2024, the Hon. Speaker went ahead to pass the bill for the establishment of the college on October 2024”.
Debunking the allegation when contacted by our correspondent, Hon. Ojuawo said it is wrong for Orun-Ekiti people to claim that the bill was initiated by Senator Biodun Olujimi. And that, there is nothing like Ise-Orun, but Ise-Orun as a local government.
