By Ologeh Joseph
The Ondo State Government has approved an Igbo woman as the Vice Chairman of a Local Government.
The State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu announced the appointment of Eucharia Nwamara as Vice Chairperson
of Odigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), an indigenous Yoruba community in Ondo State.
Nwamara was one of the caretaker committee leaders appointed to the newly created 33 LCDAs.
The Ondo State House of Assembly has already confirmed the appointment after the mandatory screening.
Nwamara was earlier appointed as the chairperson of the Odigbo LCDA but the appointment was trailed by protests from locals who said she was unknown to the residents and that it was anti-history to appoint a Non Yoruba to lead a newly created ancestral Local council.
Some traditional rulers in Odigbo was there was a link between the pioneer Chairman of a newly created local government and the spiritual wellbeing of the people arguing that an indigene of the Local government who is vast in the traditional and custom of the people should be appointed as the pioneer chairman.
“In Yorubaland, we have always been pacesetter. People who hate us, we still show them love. That is strength nor weakness. We are not against her being appointed as Chairperson but not as a pioneer Chairperson. We want an indigene to pioneer the Local Council Area being a new one” Orelope Alaba a youth leader at Odigbo told Irohinoodua.
Our correspondent gathered that political leaders in the state intervened leading to her retention as Vice Chairperson of Odigbo Local Council Development Area.
It was not the first time that Ondo Sttae would appoint an Igbo person into elevated positions in the State.
In 2015, the then Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko appointed Friday Okonofua as the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the then newly created Ondo State University of Medical Sciences.
