Aanu Adewale
The Ebira Community in the Southern district of Ekiti State have called on the State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi to ensure that the South Senatorial District produced his successor on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). after the next year governorship election.
The community declared that having lived in the state for over 50 years.they are now part of the stakeholders with recognized strong voice that can contribute to the development of the state.
The Ebira people are an ethno-linguistic group of central Nigeria who are predominantly farmers, working and residing in their multitude in Ekiti South and Ondo North in Ekiti and Ondo States respectively with Okene, Kogi State as their administrative headquarters.
In a statement over the weekend, the Ebira Community in Ekiti South Senatorial District, speaking through one of their leaders, Hon. Salaudeen Yunusa at a Consultative meeting held with the Special Assistant to the State Governor on Ethnic Relations, Hon. Sulaiman Nasiru, said having lived and worked in Ekiti State for over 50 years, they are now part of the stakeholders whose opinion on politics and the general state of affairs in Ekiti should not be ignored.
“We are a large group of people living and farming in this environment. We have lived here for over 50 years. We are now sons and daughters of the soil. Our children have married Ekiti people. We are strong stakeholders here. We strongly believe in fairness and equity considering a Governor has never emerged from the South Senatorial district since the creation of Ekiti State. Governor Fayemi is a man of principle who believes and always does the right thing when it comes to equity and fairness.”
“We have all decided in favour of the ruling APC Government. Our sympathy is for the APC but we have a demand: The Governorship Candidate of the APC for the 2022 election should emerge from the Ekiti South in the interest of fairness, equity and justice. Governor Fayemi and Minister Adeniyi Adebayo have the political will in Ekiti to achieve this and make history.
“75% of Ebira people on Ekiti State lives and work in Ekiti South. We want one of our own. We want a face-lift in our infrastructures. We want one of us who will provide security for us and protect us from marauding herdsmen destroying our farm lands in daily basis”, Yunusa, said.
Responding, Nasiru thanked the Ebira community for the warmed reception accorded him.
He appealed to them to maintain peace, stating that” plans are being made to stop the excesses of the Fulani herders” assuring them that their “complaints shall be officially conveyed to the Governor for quick intervention.”