Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi on Monday implemented the relocation of the headquarters of Ilejemeje Council from Iye Ekiti to Eda-Oniyo Ekiti consequent upon the Supreme Court judgment of December 14, 2018 which ordered the relocation.
Fayemi said it has no option than to align with the Apex Court’s decision, which branded the recognition of Iye Ekiti as the headquarters of the council since 1996 null and void.
Following the pronouncement of Iye Ekiti the headquarters against Eda Oniyo that was contained in the federal government’s gazette, the Eda Oniyo people had gone to court to contest what they described as politically motivated relocation of the headquarters by the then Military Governor, Col. Inua Mohammed Bawa.
The Supreme Court in its judgement last December recognised Eda Oniyo as the headquarters and ordered Governor Kayode Fayemi to effect the relocation with immediate effect.
The Deputy Governor, Bisi Egbeyemi said “By virtue of the Supreme Court judgment, the headquarters of Ilejemeje Council and its administrative machinery is hereby relocated by Ekiti State Government from Iye Ekiti to Eda Oniyo forthwith.”
Egbeyemi, who spoke in Ado Ekiti, said, “By this proclamation, all relevant departments and agencies of government, public functionaries, institutions, individuals etc are expected to note this development and cooperate maximally in making the relocation a smooth and successful exercise.”
He said Eda Oniyo was the headquarters of the council area when it was created in 1996 before the then military government made a proclamation with which it relocated the headquarters from Eda Oniyo Ekiti to Iye Ekiti.
According to him, the people were displeased with the proclamation following which, led by their monarch, Oba Julius Awolola, they instituted a legal action which lasted for 19 years before the Supreme Court in December last year ordered the relocation of the headquarters to its original place, Eda Oniyo Ekiti.
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He said that the Supreme Court had, among others stated, “That any act done or purported to have been done by anybody, recognizing Iye Ekiti as the headquarters of Ilejemeje Local Government of Ekiti State is illegal, irregular, unconstitutional, null and void.”
The deputy governor said the state government had considered and accepted the findings of the committee it set up in December last year on the implementation of the verdict which stated that the Supreme Court judgment was “sacrosanct and inviolable and binding on the government and people of Ekiti State.”
Egbeyemi directed the council chairman and the Commissioner for Local Government, Prof Adio Folayan, to prepare a schedule for the relocation of the council to the new town.
The Eleda of Eda Oniyo Ekiti, Oba Julius Awolola, who applauded the state government for relocating the council to his domain and for obeying the judgment of the court, said, “I want to appeal to my people to maintain peace. We have been in court for many years. The day they even took it forcibly, we did not fight.”
