31st July, 2023
The RT Honourable Speaker
Ondo State House of Assembly,
House of Assembly Complex,
Alagbaka, Akure,
Ondo State.
Mr Speaker Sir,
LETTER OF PROTEST ON THE CREATION OF THIRTY-THREE (33) LOCAL COUNCIL
DEVELOPMENT AREAS IN ONDO STATE
We refer to the recent approval of the Ondo State Executive Council
pronouncement of the creation of thirty-three (33) Local Council Development
Areas(LCDA) in Ondo State. The approval was communicated to the media when
the Hon. Commissioner for Information, Mrs. Bamidele Ademola-Olateju and
her counterpart the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Charles
Titiloye addressed the press.
It was reported that the bill to this effect would be sent to the House of Assembly
for necessary legislation and enactment into law. Although, the list of the new
LCDAs was not mentioned.
We noted that the essence of the exercise is to bring the government closer to
the people at the grassroots. We are also mindful of the positive consequences
of the creation on the social, economic and political development of the people
of our Sunshine State. Therefore, the effort of the State Government is laudable.
Nevertheless, we the people of Aye Kingdom are putting up this protest against
the purported creation of two LCDAs from the present Okitipupa LGA with
Ilutitun and Igbotako as headquarters of the new LCDAs. Aye kingdom forms
part of State Constituency II of Okitipupa LGA.
It is on record that Aye Kingdom physically submitted a memorandum on the
creation of Ikale North LCDA with Ode-Aye as headquarters. See attached
annexure 1. The memorandum was presented and adopted by the Prince ‘Lanke
Odogiyan State Committee on Wednesday 15th May, 2019 at Okitipupa LGA
Council Hall in the presence of Obas in Ikale land.
Mr. Speaker, we the people of Aye kingdom having information of the creation
of Ikale North LCDA with headquarter at Igbotako is totally not in tandem with
our proposition/memorandum for the creation of Ikale North LCDA with OdeAye as the headquarter. It is worthy of note to inform Your Excellency that the
proposal for the creation of a development area by Aye people has been on since
the days of the administration of His Excellency Chief Adebayo Adefarati as the
Governor of Ondo State. See the attached copy of a proposal submitted to the
administration in Annexure 2.
Mr. Speaker, we the people of Aye kingdom are extremely dismayed and pained
gathering information from social media that the Government had given
approval for the creation of Ikale North LCDA with the headquarter at Igbotako.
A proposal and prayer which Aye Kingdom has been pursuing for about twentyfour (24) years to date. Therefore, the approval of the State Executive Council
is perceived to totally hurt our feelings by allowing political calculation and the
influence of individuals to subjugate the yearnings of the people of Aye Kingdom
and merge Aye Kingdom with the people of Osooro in State Constituency 1 in
Okitipupa LGA.
Consequence upon the above, we submit without any ambiguity that this
approval of the State Exco is in its entirety objected to by the people of Aye
kingdom. Our objection stern from the followings;
1. Only Aye Kingdom submitted a proposal for Ikale North LCDA with it
headquarters in Ode-Aye, no other proposal was submitted for the
creation of Ikale North by any other community.
2. Merging Aye Kingdom in State Constituency II with Igbotako Osooro in
State Constituency I both in Okitipupa LGA is totally awkward. While
splitting Ilutitun and Igbotako both in State Constituency I is also not good.
3. Merging Aye kingdom with Igbotako will amount to a deliberate political
recalibration to further suppress the good people of Aye kingdom and also
trouble a prevailing communal peace in the Ikale land.
4. According to the 2006 population census, Okitipupa LGA is 234,138 with
Aye Kingdom (comprising of Ode-Aye and its over 200 villages)
constituting more than 20% of the LGA and far above the population of
Igbotako and Ilutitun but next to the population of Okitipupa town.
5. From the tradition of the Ikale race, there were three distinct recognised
traditional community heads and Olojas in this axis of Ikale land. They are
a. Jegun of Idepe Okitipupa
b. Lapoki/Halu of Ode-Aye
c. Negwo of Igbotako Osooro
while Abodi was an Oba in Ikoya then
6. Abodi of Ikoya, the Paramount ruler of Ikale, Jegun of Idepe, Lapoki/Halu
of Aye and Rebuja of Osooro until recently when their regency was
splitted to Rebuja and Majuwa
7. The age-long rift between Ilutitun and Igbotako Osooro kingdom cannot
be a reason for subjugating the entire Aye kingdom with its verse land and
over 200 villages with internationally known large mineral resources in
Agbabu to economic exploitation.
Prayers
a. That the new LCDA as proposed in our submission to the Local
Government Creation Committee for Ikale North be approved with
headquarter in Ode-Aye to further enhance the established peace and
tranquillity in the land
b. That if prayer 1 above cannot be implemented, Ode-Aye and its
communities should be made to remain under the authority of Okitipupa
and not under any other LCDA created from Okitipupa LGA
c. Any other decision that will see to the peace and tranquillity of Aye
Kingdom.
Conclusion
Sometimes it is said that silence connotes consent or approval. It is on the
strength of this that we the people of Aye kingdom present this protest letter to
formally register our objection and grievances.
Thank you.
HRM Oba William Akinmusayo Akinlade
Uyi Oba 1
Halu of Aye Kingdom
Vice Admiral Akin Aduwo Rtd CFR
Former Governor of Western Region
Obateru of Aye Kingdom
Taarelase of the Source
Patron, Fusion of Aye Development Associations
Chief Henry Olatujoye
Asoju Oba of Ikale Land
President, Fusion of Aye Development Associations
Ode-Aye
