Some communities have called on the Ondo State Government to retain them under Ose local government area if it cannot relocate the Headquarters of the newly created Oredegbe Local Council Development Area (LCDA) from Imoru town to Omolege Junction.
The Communities that are making the demand are; Arimogija, Okeluse, Owajalaye, Ute, Asolo and Arajomoeye among others, while Oredegbe Local Council Development Area (LCDA), was recently created from Ose Local Government area.
Representatives of the towns made their position known when the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Amidu Takuro visited the affected areas.
Speaking on behalf of the affected communities, Hon Akin Ogunniyi, insisted that the move to relocate the LCDA headquarters away from Imoru to Omolege Junction was unanimously agreed by the stakeholders under Oredegbe LCDA Secretariat.
Ogunniyi who said the affected communities would prefer to stay under Ose Local Government if the new LCDA headquarters could not be relocated to Omolege Junction by the State Government.
Ogunniyi further reiterated, "that our request as Oredegbe Local Council Development Area (LCDA), is that we want our Headquarters to be at Omolege Junction, instead of Imoru. This has been our agreement & position since the agitation started in 1981, 2011 and 2019 respectively.
"Our communities are demanding that if Omolege Junction is not given the Headquarters, then they prefer to be allowed to remain with Ifon.
"Our collective demand is simple, that should the Government refuse to give us Omolege Junction as the headquarters, We, the good people of Ute, Okeluse, Owajalaye, Arajomoeye, Arimogija, Asolo and numerous other communities preferred to continue to remain with Ifon instead of going to Imoru".
Backing the agitation, another Community leader, Chief Femi Awolere the Oluse of Okeluse said, Omolege junction is the most appropriate location for the citing of the LCDA Headquarters, pointing out that anything short of that, they would not hesitate to remain with the existing Ose local government with headquarters in Ifon.
Responding, the Ondo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Amidu Takuro assured that all the affected communities would be invited to Akure for amicable resolution.
