The residents of Ido-Ekiti in Ido-Osi Local Government Area have urged the Governor-elect, Mr Biodun Oyebanji to give priority to security and safety of the people.
A cross-section of residents who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ido -Ekiti on Sunday lamented that insecurity in Ekiti had caused unrest and setback to their farming and businesses.
One of the residents, Mr Bode Ogunniyi, a farmer, appealed to the governor-elect, to find a lasting solution to the challenges in the state when he assumed office.
Ogunniyi explained that the fear of kidnappers and gunmen had prevented him from visiting his farms for the past two months because his family did not have money to pay for ransom.
He advised Oyebanji to empower the security agencies with the necessary logistics and support to curb crimes during his administration.
” I want to appeal to our governor-elect, Mr Biodun Oyebanji to give priority to the security of lives and property of Ekiti residents.
” For the past two months, I have not been able to visit my farm to harvest my cassava and other food crops in it because of the fear of gunmen and kidnappers,” he said.
Another resident, Mrs Adebimpe Babalola, a civil servant, urged Oyebanji to consider the safety of the people and take proactive measures to stop kidnapping in the state.
Babalola explained that businesses and farming were being abandoned because nobody was ready to travel or visit their farms to cultivate them.
She advised the governor-elect to curb crimes such as kidnappings, killings, extortion and ensure that all the perpetrators were arrested and prosecuted.
Mr Foluso Ogunrinde, a commercial driver, appealed to the governor-elect to empower the security agencies and provide proper welfare for them.
Ogunrinde noted that security agencies were not properly motivated and encouraged to fight against kidnapping in Ekiti.
He advised Oyebanji to make security of the people his utmost priority, to enable them to sleep with eyes closed in their various homes.
Another resident, Mrs Felicia Oguntuase, a retired civil servant, said insecurity had caused setback to production of food stuffs as the farmers were no longer safe to visit their farms.
Oguntuase appealed to the governor-elect to have a better mindset to curb kidnappings and other crimes in the state.
She noted that the major reason Oyebanji was voted for, was because the people believed he was a grassroots politician who understood the suffering and concerns of the people.
“I and my household voted for him because we believe he is a grassroots politician who can easily provide a lasting solution to our problems, especially insecurity that has taken many lives in the past two years, ” she said.
The governor-elect will be sworn-in as the next Governor of Ekiti state on Oct.16.