Some indigenes of Iseyin in the Oke Ogun area of Oyo State have expressed displeasure at the non-inclusion of indigenes of the zone in the list of 14 commissioner-designates recently forwarded to the state House of Assembly for approval.
According to the Nigerian Tribune, the indigenes under the auspices of Ebedi Frontliners, Iseyin (EFI), described the development as injustice and disappointing, decrying that Governor Seyi Makinde failed to reward their support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the governor in the last governorship election.
In the statement by the spokesperson of the group, Mr Segun Fasasi, the group said the announcement of the list came as a rude shock to the entire people of Iseyin who worked for the success of Makinde in the last governorship election.
Consequently, the group urged Makinde to review the list and consider people of Iseyin local government in the formation of his cabinet.
“We are very disappointed by the list sent to the assembly by the governor in which none represented Iseyin people despite our massive support for him and his party at the last gubernatorial election. Upon hearing the names on the list, our group summoned members to an emergency meeting which held at Iseyin today Sunday, 28th 2019 and we have spoken the mind of our people through this medium.
“The list is against the known principle of equality and the fact that the party in power in the state has its Chairman from Iseyin does not in any way reflected in this nomination. What could be the cause of this? It is clearly an injustice to us.
“We can easily say this act is a replay of the old PDP act whereby Iseyin has always been excluded from nomination for Commissionership. The only time Ladoja nominated an Iseyin person, it was a woman married to Ibadan while Akala did not give any to us. We condemn this and would rather not want to say it was a clear intended act to spite us for just no reason,” Fasasi said.
Meanwhile, Chief Press Secretary to Makinde, Mr Taiwo Adisa has dismissed notions that the government was shutting out certain parties or local government areas.
In a statement, Adisa said appointments by the Makinde administration were a work in progress, adding that the government will continue to operate an open-door policy rooted in probity and accountability.
“Let me assure all our partners that governance is work in progress. Those that have not been reached, we will still reach them. As they say, Rome was not built in one day”
