Posted by From GABRIEL DIKE, Osogbo on
Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Defence representing Ijesha North Federal Constituency, Hon. Wole Oke has faulted what he called lopsidedsness in the delieneation of wards in his constituency.
Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Defence representing Ijesha North Federal Constituency, Hon. Wole Oke has faulted what he called lopsidedsness in the delieneation of wards in his constituency.
Oke who represents Obokun/Oriade council areas of Osun State in the lower house while calling for creation of additional council areas, noted that correcting the anomaly would create room for more representation of the people of the area in both the National and State legislative chambers.
The federal lawmaker who spoke at a stakeholders' forum held in Ijebu-Jesa, headquarters of Oriade Council area lamented that despite the large population figure recorded in the last census, the area is still under-represented.
He disclosed that while Oriade has 12 council areas, Obokun has only 10 despite having population of 148,000 and 116,000 respectively.
According to him, 'it beats my imagination that the entire Obokun/Oriade Federal constituency with a total population of over 260,000 is having only one representation at the House of Representatives. I think this anomaly should be corrected immediately, we need more representation at the National Assembly in order to bring more development to the grassroot"
Oke also suggested that both Obokun and Oriade should have more than two members in the state House of Assembly.
For him, 'In all sincerity, we are too large to even be considered as just two council areas. We are being under-represented. Imagine the whole of Ijebu-jesa being considered as a Ward while Dagbaja with 62 villages is also recognised as One ward. I think by now the wards should be doubled"
Addressing the gathering made up of traditional rulers from Ijesha North and council chairmen for Oriade and Obokun, the lawmaker disclosed that he would continue to bring federal presence to the area.
To this end, Oke who is also Chairman, House Commitee on Defence, disclosed that the proposed Armed Forces Camp village would be sited in the area.
He also unveiled a programme tagged 'Talent Hunt" through which 220 graduates to be selected from all the 22 wards in the area would be trained annually in self entrepreneurship and skill acquisition.
The move, he said, would help reduce unemployment in the area