Ekiti govt is not ceding land for ranching – Alawe

The Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers has described as untrue the alleged plan by government to cede portions of land to some people for ranching and grazing.

The clarification is contained in a statement issued by Chief Ajibade Olubunmi, Media Adviser to Oba Adebanji Alabi, the Alawe of Ilawe and Chairman of the council.

According to the statement, Gov. Kayode Fayemi has no plans to cede an inch of Ekiti land to any group of people for ranching.

The Alawe said the clarification was sequel to a publication by some traditional rulers under the aegis of Majority Obas in Ekiti Land (MOBEL) alleging that Fayemi intended to cede land to some people for cattle ranching or grazing.

Accounting to the statement, the Alawe was reacting to a statement issued by the Olomuo-Oke of Omuo-Oke, Oba Vincent Otitoju, Onikun of Ikun Amure Ekiti, Oba Olatunde Olusola and other traditional rulers.

The Alawe said available information from the government revealed that the news making the round on plans to cede land was meant to cause disaffection among the people.

The Chairman of the Traditional Council appealed to traditional rulers to show some restraint in reacting to news culled from social media which, he said, was prevalent with misinformation, disinformation and fake news.

The Alawe disclosed that members of the State Council of Traditional Rulers would be properly briefed at its next statutory meeting in April 2021 by top bureaucrats on government policy on animal husbandry.