Residents of Ijoka Community in Ado-Ekiti have accused former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose of turning them to refugees in their own land through the demolition exercise carried out by his administration.
They claimed that their houses were demolished without prior notice while majority of them were not paid compensation while the few compensated were given peanuts not up to the value of the structures pulled down.
According to them, the former governor allegedly destroyed their ancestral buildings where certain traditional rites were performed in Ado Ekiti which they claimed had negative effect on their tradition and custom.
They Ijoka elders and other residents, who were led by the Elejoka, Chief Lawrence Omodara, made the revelations during a courtesy visit to the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi.
The community leaders said some of the house owners died as a result of their inability to recover from the shock that resulted from the demolition.
They, however, sought the assistance of the state government for their compensation to be paid adding that their demands for compensation from Fayose did materialise before he left office on October 15.
One of the community leaders, Mr. Joseph Fagbuaro, said Fayose gave them several appointments to meet on the issue of compensation which the ex-governor did not honour until the expiration of his tenure.
He complained that the demolition of the buildings had rendered many members of the community, especially the aged despondent and destitute as they now move from one rented apartment to the other.
Fagbuaro said: “Truly what happened to us in Ijoka in the last administration was not proper, it was about 5 O’clock in the evening that the former Governor Fayose started demolishing our houses, destroyed our properties and our ancestral homes; where we used to perform traditional rites during some festivals in Ado Ekiti, without notifying us, without discussing it with anyone what he (Fayose) wanted to use the houses or the land to do.
“We appreciate you (the Deputy Governor) for granting us audience, all attempts to make our plight known to the government during Fayose regime were unsuccessful, he gave us appointments several times but failed to attend to us.
Fayose turned us to refugees in our land, says Ado-Ekiti indigenes
