Agency Report/
A frontline politician in Osun State, Alhaji Oladimeji Oginni, has called on Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) to restore electricity supply to Iloba-Ijesa Community in Atakumosa West Local Government area.
Oginni, a former Special Assistant on Political Affairs to former Gov. Bukar Abba Ibrahim of Yobe, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Iloba-Ijesa, near Osu.
He told NAN on the sidelines of the 2020 annual Iloba-Ijesa Day celebration that the community had been in darkness for about 10 years due to the activities of vandals.
Oginni contested the 2007 governorship election on the ticket of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in Osun.
He said the community had made representations to the past and present local government chairmen and IBEDC on the need for restoration of electricity to the area.
Oginni, who is also the Risa of Iloba-Ijesa, said that economic activities of people in the area had been crippled due to lack of electricity.
He said that the community, which was once connected to the national grid, was thrown to total darkness about 10 years when electricity vandals invaded the area.
According to him, since the community had several moves to get the town connected to the national grid, but has not yielded results.
He said that many artisans and small scale industrialists had left the town, while only few that remained now relied on generator to do their businesses.
On education, Oginni, also urged the state government to establish secondary school in Iloba-Ijesa to alleviate the pains of their children that have to trek over six kilometres to attend school in Osu.
Earlier, Oba Olaosebikan Olarewaju, the Agbadae of Igbadae-Ijesa, called on all indigenes of Iloba-Ijesa, both at home and in Diaspora, to lend their supports to Oba Adesanmi Okikiola Ilufemiloye 1, the Aloba of Iloba-Ijesa, for peace and progress in the community.
Olarewaju, speaking as the Royal Father of the Day, also urged them to love one and another.
According to him, without love, the community cannot achieve meaningful progress and development.
The traditional ruler urged them to work in unity toward the restoration of the community’s lost glory.
He advised the indigenes to come together to develop their town, saying that their unity have a long way to go in achieving progress and development of the community.
“You cannot get any assistance from the government without your coperation as citizens,” Oba Agbadae.
Also, Mr Ademola Fatukasi, the Secretary, Iloba-Ijesa Day Planning Committee, thanked God for the judicial victory of Ilufemiloye I over the obaship tussle that lasted five years.
Fatukasi said: “There were several unwarranted litigations, which drew back the wheels of progress of the community for about five years.
“The legal battle came to an end on Jan. 22, 2020, when the landmark judgment of a High Court judge in Ilesa gave victory to Ilufemiloye I.”
The secretary then called on the state government to establish secondary school in the community, provide medical centre and rehabilitate the main road from Osu, which passed through Iloba to link Osin-Oke-Ibode-Kajola-Ijesa.
He also called construction of road from Iloba-Ijesa to Ijana Ejioro, and Iloba-Ijesa to Alajue-Ede, adding that the state government should assist the community with establishment of cottage and large scale industries, among other development.
In his remarks, Ilufemiloye 1, thanked Almighty God for giving him victory over legal tussles that greeted his appointment as the Aloba of Iloba-Ijesa.
He urged men and women, both the young and old in the community to support him to achieve development and progress.
(NAN)
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