Ekiti Obas
Traditional
rulers in Ekiti State have appealed to the State Governor, Dr Kayode
Fayemi, to revisit their welfare packages that have been bastardized
in the last four years.
At
a meeting with the Governor in his office on Tuesday, the traditional
rulers narrated their ordeals during the last administration where
their salaries were not paid regularly and their allowances slashed
to 40 per cent leading to situations where some obas get sitting
allowances as low as two thousand or four hundred naira.
The
Obas, led by their chairman, Oba Oluwole Ademolaju, the Oloye of Oye-
Ekiti said it was unfortunate that custodians of the culture and
tradition of the people could be treated in such a shabby and
despicable manner where peanuts approved for them could not be paid
while some people were living grandiose life style.
They
called on the governor to be compassionate on them and return their
rights and privileges that have been denied them in the last four
years, urging that their plight be looked into within the ambit of
available resources.
The
Obas also used the opportunity to appreciate the governor for the
cars he bought for them five years ago which is what majority of them
were still using. They however lamented that about 13 obas who were
crowned after the exercise were denied official vehicles by the
Fayose government.
They
gave kudos to governor Fayemi for giving over 120 cars to all Ekiti
Obas during his first tenure adding that it was commendable and
unprecedented in the history of the state and Nigeria at large.
Earlier,
Governor Fayemi had solicited their support for his administration
adding that government cannot move forward without the support of the
traditional institution.
While
assuring them that his administration would complete all abandoned
projects before his tenure lapses, the governor promised to partner
with them in his drive to develop the state as all projects would be
based on the needs of the people.
He
assured them of adequate security in all communities of the state by
restoring the vigilante and further strengthening of the security
forces and ensure better welfare for them adding that peaceful
coexistence was the only antidote for development.
Fayemi
said “I know that there are various projects also that my
government started which relate to your various communities, in the
course of my visits during the campaign, I noticed that many of those
projects had remained at a standstill and your expectation is that
having returned from my sabbatical leave that those projects should
come to fruition and completed in the various communities where they
are located.
“We
would do our best to try and do an assessment of those projects in
the shortest possible time and see how we can quickly effect its
completion within available resources. We would try not to leave any
project abandoned.
“I
have only been here for ten days and in the course of that we have
had some skirmishes here and there, I am glad that Owa of Ilogbo is
here with us and in one peace, I don't know whether you have returned
to your community, but if you have not, we would have to ensure that
you get back there.”
Owa
of Ilogbo Ekiti was recently barred from entering his domain as a
result of a disagreement that happened in the town.
On
road network, the governor assured the people that very soon, roads
leading from Ado-Ekiti to Akure and Ikare Akoko both in Ondo state
would be fixed by the Federal Government.
Fayemi
also hinted the Obas of plans by his administration to invest
massively in agriculture, urging the traditional rulers to key into
the programme.
He
also promised to effect the release of their entitlement within the
ambit of available resources.
The
governor promised to build a council hall with chambers and offices
where all the traditional rulers in the state could meet at the same
time.
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