Residents of Ekiti State have been admonished to conduct themselves peacefully and eschew violent acts before, during and after the local government election, holding in the state on Saturday, December 2, 2023.
The council polls are scheduled to be conducted across the 177 wards, 22 local councils development areas (LCDA) and 16 local government areas of the state.
The state Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Kehinde Ajobiewe, who stated this on Wednesday, appealed to transporters operating to allow peace reign during and after the exercise.
Ajobiewe made the appeal in Ado Ekiti, the state capital during a meeting held with stakeholders in the transportation sector in the state ahead of the poll.
He said, “I want to appealed to Commercial Drivers and Okada Riders in the State to steer
clear of any act that could lead to the breach of peace before, during and after next Saturday’s Local Government elections.”
Ajobiewe, who noted that Governor Biodun Oyebanji-led administration has zero tolerance for any act that could breach the peace being enjoyed in the state, said that development can only be achieved in an atmosphere of peace.
The commissioner charged public transporters and other eligible voters to come out in their numbers on Saturday to perform their civic responsibilities during the election.
In another development, the state government has also cautioned residents against acts that may lead to fire outbreaks in their domains as the dry season is setting in.
The state Commissioner for Information, Rt. Hon. Taiwo Olatunbosun, in a statement made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti, noted that fire outbreaks constitute one of the most rampant calamities during this period of the year as a result of the harmattan which is associated with extremely dry and dusty wind that makes it easy for fire to spread at the slightest ignition.
He said that a lot of the disasters could have been averted if actions that could spark fire incidents are avoided, adding that activities like indiscriminate bush-burning, careless handling of lighted cigarettes and allied substances, mishandling of explosives,fire-crackers and knockout bangers as well as random storage of inflammable substances such as petroleum products are sure catalysts for fire disasters.
Olatunbosun, who stressed that the welfare of the people remains top priority of the state government, said that had led to the Nigeria Security Trackers’ (NST) tagging the state as the safest state in Nigeria (2022).
The commissioner, however, described the safety of lives and property as a collective responsibility, adding that residents must be ready to promptly report any untoward action to relevant security agencies for the safety of all.
