Kunle Adelabu
The Majority Leader of the Ekiti House of Assembly who was one of the prominent political figures that were against the controversial administration of Gov. Ayodele Fayose, Hon. Olugboyega Arisangan, was among the notable chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that celebrated the 2021 Eid – El – Kabir (Ileya) festival with the representative of Ikorodu Constituency I and the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Sanai Bolanle Agunbiade on Tuesday, July 20.
Hon. (Princess) Folashade Olabanji – Oba, the Vice Chairman, Ikorodu Local Government and Vice Chairmanship candidate of the APC in the coming council elections, Hon. Sulaiman Kazeem, the APC Chairmanship candidate in Ikorodu West LCDA, Mr Adesegun Aluko, Vice Chairmanship candidate in Ikorodu West LCDA, Hon. Adegboyega Oyebola Ologijo, former Chairmanship aspirant, Com Japheth Odesanya, former Secretary to the Ikorodu LG among others were also part of the party organized by the four-term lawmaker at his newly renovated lkorodu Grammar School residence which was invaded by hoodlums during the last year’s #EndSARS protest.
The occasion was not just about celebration but also provided those in attendance the opportunity to talk about governance and development in Ekiti and Lagos States.
While welcoming Hon. Aribisangan and other guests, Hon. Agunbiade thanked them for joining him and his family for the Ileya celebration.
“On behalf of my family and myself, I thank you all for coming.
“I want to introduce, appreciate and honour Hon. Olugboyega Aribisangan, the Majority Leader of Ekiti State House of Assembly. He is a leading figure in the liberation of Ekiti State. When you leave here today (Wednesday), endeavour to google Aribisangan versus the then governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayo Fayose.
“It was a tough era then in Ekiti State.
“He has been in Ikorodu since yesterday (Tuesday) just to celebrate the Ileya festival with me and the great people of Ikorodu.
“He will be talking to us on the topic, ‘The True Democracy that He Experienced’. I did not informed him about this before but I am sure that he will do justice to it going by his nature as an erudite lawmaker and seasoned journalist”, Hon. Agunbiade said.
“He should let our people know that democracy has different shapes.
“We are both in the Southwest Legislative Reform Implementation Committee (SLRIC) with the mandate to integrate the Southwest States of Ondo, Oyo, Ekiti, Osun, Ogun and Lagos States legislatively.
“While I am the Chairman of the SLRIC, Hon. Aribisangan is the Director of Media and Information of the committee. We have been travelling together across the Southwest States”, the host added.
While speaking at the event, Hon. Aribisangan thanked Hon. Agunbiade and people of Ikorodu for the warm welcome given to him.
He said that invite such as the one extended to him by Hon. Agunbiade should be encouraged amongst lawmakers across the Southwest States to promote bond.
“Invite like this should be encouraged amongst lawmakers across the six states to promote bond and to show love which Hon. Agunbiade has shown me. I believe that I have a take home from what happened here today and will report to my people when I return to Ekiti.
He stated that Ekiti State went through hard times at the commencement of the present democratic dispensation, especially during the administration of Chief Ayodele Fayose, the former governor of the state.
Hon. Aribisangan added that Lagos has a model that other states are learning from to develop.
“We are all aware that Lagos State has been in existence for long and we (other States) are copying from its democratic experience but in Ekiti, we have gone through a lot, especially when we returned to democratic rule”, he said.
“Due to this, we don’t have the kind of structures that you have in Lagos State and this has been making us to come down here to learn about the system of governance in the state.
“Since the inception of this democratic dispensation in 1999, Lagos State has only had four governors but in Ekiti State, we had eleven. We have had governors for one month, one day, three months, six months and also three years.
“The way we have been running our system in Ekiti is quite different from how it is being run in Lagos State.
“We don’t have a particular leader coordinating our affairs and we all want to be in control and this is why we have not really developed”.
Narrating the democratic experience under the administration of Gov. Fayose, Hon. Aribisangan said:
“I was among those that ensured that the former governor of the state, Chief Ayodele Fayose, emerged as the governor to facilitate development of Ekiti and make us experience what people are enjoying in Lagos State”, he said.
“Unfortunately, he did not do what the people asked him to do. He turned government into personal estate and did not involve others in the running of the state.
“I was among those that confronted him and let him know that the people are not happy with him. This is how our disagreement started.
“It was a very tough era because the former governor used every state power to fight me but we thank God that we are victorious.
“When it was time to liberate Ekiti State, I aligned with other progressives in the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2017”.
While speaking on the administration of the incumbent governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, the Majority Leader of the Ekiti House of Assembly said:
“As soon as I returned to the APC, we went to meet the former governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi that we wanted him to return to the office and he first refused but later accepted our position”, he said.
“Ekiti State has been experiencing development since the return of Fayemi as governor and people are happy with what the APC government is doing.
“Even though we are yet to match Lagos in terms of development, we are hoping that very soon, we are going to develop Ekiti.
“Presently in Ekiti, the government is working on roads, education , railway and many other sectors. If we look at it critically, you will see that we have been experiencing a new dawn in our state”.
While speaking on the activities of the SLRIC which is headed by Hon. Agunbaide, the Ekiti lawmaker charged his Lagos counterpart to ensure that he pilot the full integration of the Southwest States.
“My colleague, in person of Hon. Agunbiade who is one of the ranking legislators in Lagos, is also the one leading the SLRIC and ensuring that cooperation and good governance also prevail in other southwest states”, he said.
“I will suggest to my friend who is the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Agunbiade, to ensure that Lagos lawmakers and executive members embark on visits to other states to see what other Southwest States are doing and know where they can also cooperate with them to achieve regional integration”.
He said that SLRIC ensures that the Yoruba language is preserved which is why the State Assemblies have passed a law that Yoruba language must be used as means of communication during official activities in the six South West states.
“It is in our attempt to ensure the preservation of our culture and promote our heritage that we resolved that our means of communication during official activities, especially in the six states, should be in Yoruba language”, Hon. Aribisangan said.
“The adoption of foreign languages has destroyed many things and made us retrogressed. If you look at many of the developed countries, you will discover that they are always speaking their own language.
“We exist in a country (Orile Ede) which is a place where they have common language(s). In China, Germany and other countries, they are only speaking their language.
“On behalf of the Ekiti State Government and House of Assembly, particularly my Speaker, Rt. Hon. Niyi Afuye, I say big thank you and happy celebration to the people of Ikorodu”, he said while thanking Hon. Agunbiade and the people of Ikorodu for the warm reception accorded him.
Also present at the ceremony was Mr Rotimi Erogbogbo, Chairman of the Ikorodu – Oga Development Association (IKODASS) who led other chieftains of the association which included Comrade Kehinde Okeowo, Mrs Toyin Aroyewun, Prince Omotayo Benson, Mr Hameed Borokinni, Mr Adekunle Bada and Mr Austin Awulonu, the Chief of Staff to the IKODASS Chairman, among others, to the lleya party.
There are also chieftains of market associations in Ikorodu Local Government, Mr Akeem Bello, Principal Oriwu Senior Model College, Mrs Bisi Bello Mustapha, a retired Head Teacher, Ikorodu West LCDA and serving Councillors and Councillorship candidates from Ikorodu LG and Ikorodu West LCDA.
The Majority Leader of the Ekiti State Assembly who enjoyed himself danced to Elegure songs with other with his hosts and other guests.
