Oolo residents urge Ajimobi to relocate Oriire South LCDA headquarters

SOME indigenes of Oolo town in Oriire Local Government, Oyo State have asked for the siting of the Oriire South Local Council Development Area (LCDA) headquarters in Oolo town and not at Ahoro-dada as approved by the Oyo State government.

According to the indigenes on the platform of Oolo Descendant Union Forum, 97 per cent of towns, villages and communities grouped under Oriire LCDA is in the domain of Oolo and that Oolo communities were in the forefront of the battle for the creation of Oriire Local Government in the 1980s.

The forum, in a statement signed by the president, Mr Abidoye Oyelude and secretary, Mr Oyedunmola Oyekanmi, further called on Governor Abiola Ajimobi, to set up an ad-hoc committee to examine both Oolo and Ahoro-Dada to ascertain which of the communities had requisite facilities for an LCDA.

Describing the siting of Oriire South LCDA in Ahoro-Dada as “a great error, injustice, and against good and just governance,” the forum urged Ajimobi to reverse the decision to favour Oolo community.

The statement read in part: “All the members of the Oolo Descendant Union Forum are calling on the governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi to please look into the case of Oriire Local LCDA headquarters presently sited in Ahoro-Dada. 99 per cent of towns, villages and micro-communities grouped into the new LCDA is in the domain of Oolo.”

“This undeniable fact is backed up by the truth that Oolo Royal family had won the legal tussle over this area at Oyo High Court, Western State Court of Appeal and finally the Supreme Court between 1971 and 1977.

“We implore our governor to please set up an ad-hoc committee to inspect our town and Ahoro-Dada to choose the right town that has necessary facilities for an LCDA, because presently there is Oriire Area office building, Police Station, Customary Court, Health Centre Private/Public schools and so on, apart from the fact that Oolo is along the trunk ‘A’ highway. All these are not in Ahoro-Dada.”

“In 1980, during the administration of the late Uncle Bola Ige, the late Oloolo, Oba Oyekanmi, demanded for Ajiroba-Oolo Local Government headquarters in Oolo to be created from the then Oyo Local Government Area. Also, when the present Oriire Local government was being fought for between 1980 and 1989, the Ikoyi and Oolo communities were in the forefront of the battle.”

“Finally, Oriire South leaders of thought forum had been demanding for the splitting of the present local government into two with one of the headquarters at Oolo since 1991 till 2001 during the regime of late governor Lam Adesina.”