Again, Uso Youths Protest Inclusion in Owo North West LCDA, Demand to Remain Alone or Under Owo LGA

Again, Uso Youths Protest Inclusion in Owo North West LCDA, Demand to Remain Alone or Under Owo LGA

Uso, an agrarian community and cocoa and timber hub in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, erupted in protest on Tuesday, 16th July as its youths vehemently rejected the community’s inclusion in the recently created Owo North West Local Government Development Area (LCDA). The youths demanded to remain under the administration of Owo Local Government Area as it is being denied the headquarters of the late Governor Akeredolu ill-created Owo North West LCDA.

This happened after the Supreme court verdict that granted financial autonomy to 774 local governments and after the Aiyedatiwa-led government constituted a transition committee to manage the LCDAs. Meanwhile, the legality or illegality of the LCDAs is still pending in court and a subject of legal discourse.

The protest stemmed from what the youths professed as an affront to the community, having in the past written and made it clear to the government to desist from including the community in the aberrantly, lopsidedly and unfairly created LCDA which named the headquarters in Emure-Ile instead of Uso. The community had time immemorial suffered deprivation due to its cultural differences with Owo.

Speaking with our correspondent, the community youth leader, Mr Dare Oluwafemi expressed the community’s position on the matter and stated firmly that it is a slap on the community to first of all give two slots of Supervisors to Uso, while Emure retains five with chairmanship position. He affirmed that Uso has been the economic and political headquarters of the ward since the creation. He confirmed that the duo chosen from the community in the steering committee had rejected their membership which was the reason they did not attend the inauguration.

The peaceful protest was eventually quelled by the intervention of the community king Dr. Ademola Oyinbade, the Oloba of Uso, who advised the youths to return to their daily activities and assured them that the Oloba in Council would engage with government stakeholders to address their grievances.