Lawyer Kunle Sulyman faults Ile Arugbo peace committee, says it is “politically motivated”

A much revered chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Barrister Kunle has lashed out at the 29 man committee inaugurated to settle the grievances emanating from the eventual destruction of Ile Arugbo between Governor AbdulRazaq AbdulRahman and the Saraki family.

The septuagenarian further expressed lack of confidence in the peace committee, blowing hot that 21 out of the 29 members of the committee are unarguably Bukola Saraki’s loyalists.

“Having gone through the list which was set up to look into the ile arugbo issue, I am shedding tears for kwarans with the kind of names included in the committee. This committee is strange to most of us as we don’t know who set this committee up. We can’t be fooled as citizens of Kwara state. Who are those that initiated this idea of setting up a committee, is it the IEDPU or His Royal Highness ? This is a question most kwarans are looking for its answers. We don’t know who has set up this committee nor the term of reference is known to us, the only thing known to us is that the committee is to sit on the ile arugbo issue.

Barrister sulymam further implored some members of the committee not to allow their good personalities to be dragged to the mud.

“First and foremost, we do not have confidence on the committee. And am using this medium to appeal to all notable Ilorin sons and daughters who have made their names over the years not to allow themselves to be used for political objectives and soil the names they have built. A lot of the people on the list are people who I hold with utmost respect, they are our elders in this society. The likes of Alhaji Umar Saro who was the first name on the list is not a politician, he is a man who would never support illegality and am sure he won’t be part of this scheme.The likes of Engr Lanre Shagaya, Alhaji Kola Belgore and a host of others who are men of integrity, I am appealing to them not to allow people tarnish their reputable image. The question of ile arugbo is not an Ilorin affair, all the 29 names on the list are ilorites. The land in question belongs to Kwara state and it belongs to the whole citizens of Kwara, so nobody whether Ilorin or the igbomina or the barubas can set up a local committee to resolve an issue which affects the whole state.

“Therefore we do not share the opinion of those who set up the committee, the committee would achieve no positive result because it is clear that they are playing politics and this matter is behind local politics as it a state affair. They should stay away from it.

He berated that the committee is politically motivated as it is studded with scores of Bukola Saraki’s loyalists, raising concern that 40% of the state civil servants live in rented houses. The APC stalwart urged Kwarans not to pay serious attention to the committee.

“In addition those of us who are indigenes of Ilorin believe that the committee is compromised as majority of the people in the committee are loyalist to Bukola Saraki who are meant to discuss the ile arugbo issue. The people of Kwara are strongly behind the Governor Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq led administration and are supportive of his decision on the ile arugbo issue.

“Up till now about 40% of Kwara civil servants are working in a rented apartment which is not supposed to be so for a state which has land and resources to build a secretariat for it’s own people.

“I am sad that those who are exposed and learned especially the lawyers who are supposed to know the nitty gritty of what is happening are allowing themselves to be used by accepting to serve in this politically motivated committee. The people of Ilorin which I am speaking on their behalf, have voted for a change, and part of the change is saying no to impunity on our lands. It is highly unfortunate. We should no that Ilorin of today us different from the Ilorin of yesteryears. We have voted for change and we would be abiding by the otoge mantra. It us saddening that the right thing which the government us doing is still being castigated by the people it is fighting for.

“We are appealing to the good people of Ilorin to disregard this committee. We awaits to know the people behind the committee set up and to tell us what they want and what they stand to gain by forming this lopsided committee.”