Says … 2 of our members are in the race
The leadership of Esa Oke Renewal Initiative (ERI) have sent a strong warning to those peddling unfounded rumors linking the group to the selection of the next Owa Omiran of Esa Oke to desist forthwith.
The group in an unmistakable tone, therefore, “condemn in totality, the actions of individuals, particularly those who called out it members during the protest in the Town’s Square and the sponsors who instigated the premeditated protest”.
www.esaoketodayonline.com recalls that an attempt to inaugurate the Screening Committee for the selection of the next Owa Omiran of Esa Oke was aborted by protests by some people who occupied the frontage of the Cultural and Events’ Centre, venue of the inauguration.
The protesters had claimed that the Screening Committee was a ploy to disqualify their preferred candidates from the race”.
Mr. Adediran further said that “persecuting the leadership of ERI on matters of selection of Owa Omiran simply because candidate(s) expressed their interest in occupying the throne of their fore-fathers should be condemned by all lovers of our Town”.
The group insisted that “we are not unmindful of our goals, objectives and responsibilities to Esa-Oke people especially in the areas of working for peace, unity and progress”.
He added that hence “the motto of the group which our members commitment to spend and be spent for Esa-Oke. We also belief that Esa-Oke is not a personal or family property of any individual or group of persons. It is a collective heritage of all the free born indigenes of the town. Forcing the elites of town into exiles (as presently observed) is nothing but bad omen”.
The group, in a no-hold barrel press conference help at Lola Events Centre, Idofin area Friday, October 23, said further “it is on this note that the leadership considered it necessary to set the record straight without joining issues with anyone, who may be ignorant of the facts on the subject matter”.
Hon. Idowu Afolami, the group’s Public Relations Officer, who stood in for the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT), Mr. Ayo Adediran, said “our attention has however been drawn to the various posts and voice notes in the various social media groups, dragging ERI into the selection process”. According to him “some people have also been fabricating falsehood to destroy the members and out rightly set the group against individuals or a section of the community”
He added that both “press and social media statements carrying threats, cyber bullying and intimidations have been issued to rubbish the group, by these same faceless and unscrupulous people”.
While acknowledging the “constitutionally guaranteed rights of association and freedom of expression and speech of every citizens”, he however, “cautioned that such rights should not be exercise without minding the rights of others”.
The group maintained that “ERI like any other groups, associations or societies in the town have no role in the selection of the next Oba”. He however noted that “members of the group spread across the four quarters of the town, from the ruling houses and other families”.
The group further declared that “it is not a secret that two of members of ERI, (Adewumi Adeniyi and Aderogba Ola-Ajiboye), are bonafide and active members of the Esa-Oke Renewal Initiative”.
According to the group, “it also suffice to also mention that other contestants also belong to different societies and Clubs in Esa-Oke. Even then, members of any society or Club are absolutely free to have sympathy for candidates of their choice without intimidation or threat”.