By Ologeh Joseph and Alaba Akinola
Ekiti State has no Ministerial position in the government of President Bola Tinubu, an Ekiti based group has said.
In a statement on Thursday, IBILE, a community based group in Ekiti State said the new ministerial list does not strike any cord with Ekiti people.
The group which has chapters in all the 177 wards in Ekiti said Ekiti people at present are happy about the victory of President Tinubu but are less excited by his team which he says does not resonate among 4 million Ekiti people at home and in the Diaspora.
The statement signed by IBILE Chairman Chief Kunle Obalola and the General Secretary Deji Omotoyinbo said, IBILE is not aligned to any political party but rather to the short, medium and long term interest of Ekiti people irrespective of political party affiliations.
The group said, It acknowledges that Mr Dele Alake is from Ekiti State but that he fits more into a candidate of the President based on historic ties that exist between the two.
IBILE said it has a lot of respect for Mr. Dele Alake who is from Ekiti State but that his choice was based on personal relationship with Tinubu and not in any way tied to the political, economic and electoral fortunes of the people of Ekiti State.
IBILE said President Tinubu has the right to appoint individuals based on their credibility and not on State representation bases adding that Mr Alake falls into that category.
“Mr Alake deserves the Ministerial position he has been given. We assume he is one of the President’s personal choices which is legitimate while Ekiti people await a representative of the State as a Minister. It is never too late.”
“Mr. Alake is from Ikoro-Ekiti. His family is distinguished.He stood for democracy in the most difficult moments. He is known for his hard work, diligence and commitment to duty. However, his choice was not informed by his Ekiti ancestry but based on factors driven by his personal relationship with the President.”
The group said Ekiti has the highest number of Professors in Nigeria, more than the number of Professors in some 15 states put together. Ekiti is also the bastion of revolutionary politics in Yorubaland. In Yoruba affairs, Ekiti stands tall. During the election, Ekiti State gave overwhelming support to President Asiwaju recording the second highest percentage in the entire Southern Nigeria after Ondo State. Having a Minister apart from Mr Alake is a legitimate demand.”
IBILE listed Tinubu’s APC Presidential scorecard in the South West which are:
Lagos 45.04%
Ekiti: 65.38%
Ogun: 58.88%
Ondo: 67.50%
Osun: 46.91%
Oyo: 55.58%
IBILE said Ministerial positions ought to be informed by ancestral considerations, blood ties with states of origin, psychological and political ties with the people of the state the Minister represents.
“While Alake has biological and blood ties with Ekiti, he lacks the most formidable consideration which is political and social ties with Ekiti people. The implication is that Ekiti people have been robbed the opportunity of having a Minister that connects with them politically, they have been robbed of having a Minister that truly represents their fears and aspirations, a Minister that comes home to vote and a Minister that the people can see frequently and relate with.”
The group said at the moment, many people in Ekiti people feel empty and betrayed by the new government
“This has nothing to do with the position of All Progressives Congress, APC in Ekiti State and the excellent Governor, Mr. Abiodun Oyebanji who leads the state, we are talking of men, women, children, farmers, peasants and students of Ekiti land who do not belong to any of the political parties,” the group said.
IBILE said it does not understand the logic behind Ogun State having three Ministers while Ekiti in reality has a brilliant man who unfortunately is not part of the political structures in Ekiti State.
“This is quite demoralizing. We call on President Tinubu to pick another Minister from Ekiti State. That is the right thing to do. Even in the allocation of people into the boards, there are indications that Ekiti people will be at the receiving end of the stick.”
IBILE said, “At present Ekiti is politically landlocked. The highest political office Ekiti has at present is Senior Special Assistant, SSA (National Assembly Matters), Mr. Olanrenwaju Ibrahim, who is one of the most descent, responsible and honest politicians in Ekiti State.
“We call on President Tinubu to address this bitter situation to assuage the sore already inflicted on Ekiti people.”
