Senatorial Aspirant, Commissioner For Regional Integration Commends Aregbesola Over Ekiti Govt/Oil Marketers Face-off

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun on Monday received commendations for his intervention in the face-off between the government of his counterpart in Ekiti, Mr. Ayo Fayose and the body of oil marketers in the state.

The Commissioner for Regional Integration in Osun, Mr. Bola Ilori and an aspirant for the vacant seat of the senator of the Osun West district, Mr. Musiliu Tijani Adekilekun, on Monday described as patriotic and an indication of the interest of the Yoruba and the nation, Aregbesola’s move to end the hostilities between his counterpart and a major stakeholder group in the society.
The three-week old strike embarked upon by the Ekiti oil marketers was suspended on Sunday at the Government House Osogbo, after a peace meeting brokered by the Governor of Osun.
Reacting to the development on Monday, both Ilori and Adekilekun said Aregbesola demonstrated with his intervention that his concern for peace, tranquility and stability of the polity transcends Osun, Yorubaland but the entire country.
In a statement by the Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, signed by its Director Semiu Okanlawon, both Ilori and Adekilekun were quoted as stating that the timely move was in tandem with the regional integration agenda of the South West governors who desire cooperation for the enhanced growth of the geo-political zone.
Adekilekun, a Buckingham, United Kingdom-based Pharmacist, who sought a ticket into the House of Representatives in the 2015 elections, said Aregbesola’s action is worthy of emulation, adding that lack of peace in any part of Yorubaland should be seen as common headache by all the governors of the South-West.
Adekilekun, an indigene of Ede, who has signified his intention to contest for vacant seat of the Osun West senatorial district, said the governor of Osun has demonstrated how to be a statesman.
“I think Governor Aregbesola himself has put it succinctly when I listened to him saying it would be irresponsible of him to watch as issues as critical to the economy degenerate in Ekiti, a neighbouring state and stand aloof unconcerned. By the time Ondo sees the problem in Oyo and its problem and Lagos sees that if there is no peace in Ogun, Lagos cannot be peaceful, we would have achieved the gains of regional integration which I am aware the governor has been championing.”
The newly sworn in Commissioner for Regional Integration, Mr. Bola Ilori, also said Aregbesola has scored a major plus in his drive for the integration of all the states in the South West.
“This is what we need in this part of the country. Forget the artificial barriers of Geography called states, our people are one and the same. Yoruba people in Akure and Egbado are the same with Yoruba people in Ikorodu and Osogbo. How then must we continue to exist in this artificial compartments as if we are different people. Aregbesola has laid that foundation and he should be commended for it,” Ilori said.