Ekiti community barricades road over relocation of LG headquarters

Vehicular movement and other activities were grounded as Lagos, Abuja and Kwara travellers were stranded Sunday due to protest embarked upon by Ilasa Ekiti residents, over the relocation of Ekiti South East Local Council Development Authority (LCDA), from the community.

The protesters were protesting the relocation of the Ekiti South East Local Council Development Authority (LCDA) to Isaya Ekiti from llasa-Ekiti, as they barricaded the major road leading to Kogi State plied by travellers to and from Abuja to Lagos. Efforts by a detachment of police led by the Divisional Police Officer of the area to restore normalcy were rebuffed by angry protesters who insisted on showing their displeasure at the relocation of the LCDA headquarters.

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Some of the protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as: “We say no to daylight robbery, Ilasa Ekiti must be headquarters of Ekiti South East LCDA, no more no less”,  “It is evil and inhuman to change the headquarters of LCDA”, “Changing the headquarters of LCDA to Isaya Ekiti height of insensitivity,” amidst chanting of solidarity songs.

Speaking with newsmen, one of the leaders of the community and retired civil servant, Mr Olowookere Akin, explained that Ilasa was the headquarters of the LCDA in 2014 before it was suspended by the Ayodele Fayose led administration.

He also affirmed that Ilasa remained the headquarters of the new LCDA until some powerful forces from the other community tinkered with it. “I doubted if Governor Fayemi is aware of the tinkering and this is why we felt we should show our displeasure through this protest.’’

Also speaking with journalists, the National President, Ilasa Development Union, Mr Tajudeen Olutope Ahmed, Esq insisted that Ilasa had been the natural headquarters of the entire communities in the state constituency 2, now made up of the LCDA.